THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


THE  STORY  OF   THE   GUARD. 


THE   STORY  OF    THE   GUARD 


A   CHRONICLE   OF   THE   WAR. 


Bt  JESSIE  BENTON  FREMONT. 


"  Their  good  swords  rust, 
And  their  steeds  are  dust, 
But  their  souls  are  with  the  saints,  we  trust.' 


BOSTON: 

TICKNOR    AND    FIELDS, 

1863. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1862,  by 

TicKxoR  AND  Fields, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of 
Massachusetts. 


RIVERSIDE,    CAMBRIDGE: 
STEREOTYPED    AXD    PRrSTED  BY   H.   0.   HOUGHTOX. 


"That  the  honorable  enterprises,  noble 
adventures,  and  deeds  of  arms,  performed  in 
the  wars  between  England  and  France  may  be 
properly  related,  and  held  in  perpetual  remem- 
brance—  to  the  end  that  brave  men  taking 
example  from  them  may  be  encouraged  in 
their  well-doing,  I  sit  down  to  record  a  history 
deserving  great  praise  ;  but,  before  I  begin,  I 
request  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  who  from 
nothing  created  all  things,  that  He  v/ill  have 
the  goodness  to  inspire  me  with  sense  and 
sound  understanding,  to  persevere  in  such  man« 
ner,  that  all  those  who  shall  read  may  derive 
pleasure  and  instruction  from  my  work,  and 
that  I  may  fall  into  their  good  graces. 

"  It  is  said,  and  with  truth,  that  all  towns 
are  built  with  many  different  stones,  and  that 
all  large  rivers  are  formed  from  many  springs  ; 
so  are  sciences  compiled  by  many  learned  per- 
sons, and  what  one  is  ignorant  of  is  known  to 
another  ;  not  but  that  everything  is  known 
sooner  or  later."  ....  — Sir  John  Frois- 
sart's  Preface  to  his  Chronicles  of  England^ 
France^  Is'c. 


602911 


When  this  book  was  written,  nearly  a 
year  ago  now,  it  was  my  wish  and  hope  to  be 
able  through  it  to  get  some  immediate  assist- 
ance for  the  families  upon  whom  the  winter 
was  coming  without  their  usual  support.  It 
was  to  have  been  issued  as  a  Christmas  Story, 
at  the  kindly  season  when  "  good-will  towards 
all"  would  be  propitious  to  my  attempt.  But 
various  causes  delayed  it.  Among  others  the 
want  of  a  publisher  who  was  willing  to  incur 
the  risk  of  publishing  what  might  be  taken  as 
a  disapproval  of  an  official  act.  Air.  Ticknor 
and  Mr.  Fields  hearing  of  it,  volunteered  for 
the  service,  but  it  was  already  too  late  for  a 
Christmas-book  and  so  it  was  put  off  to  a 
more  favorable  season.  When  a  new  com- 
mand was  given  to  the  General  we  hoped  for 
renevi^ed  service  for  the  Guard,  and  this  stayed 
my  hand  again.  Again  disappointed  for  them,  I 
have  no  restraining  motive,  but  launch  it  now, 
taking  shame  to  myself  for  deferring  for  any 
cause  a  right  act.  For  in  this,  as  well  as  in 
great  matters,  I  do  not  believe  that  there  is  any 
specially  appointed  "more  convenient  season." 
19th  October,  1862.  J.  B.  F. 


PREFACE. 


"THE   REASON    WHY." 

[From  a  Letter  to  Mr.  Fields^ 

Because   I  know  what  it  is  I   mean  to  do, 
I  am   afraid  I  fell   into  the   error  of  talkino-  to 

o 

you  this  morning  as  though  you,  too,  knew  all 
about  it.  Mr.  Ticknor  and  yourself  talked 
"  book,"  when  I  am  incapable  of  writing  a 
book;  sunshine  puts  out  little  fires,  and  I've 
known  too  much  of  those  who  lived,  as  well 
as  wrote  books,  to  pale  my  ineffectual  fires 
by  comparison.  But  I  can  tell  what  I  know. 
I  believe  that  those  truly  soldierly  young  men, 
worthy  of  a  place  in  chronicles  of  knightly 
deeds,  were  misrepresented,  slighted,  and  finally 
insulted  out  of  the  service,  because  of  the  name 


vm  PREFACE. 

they  bore.  This  has  not  altered  the  feeling 
with  which  they  took  that  name,  and  we  feel 
to  them  as  toward  the  foremost  in  sharing  a 
hard  siesie.  It  seems  to  me  as  much  an  obli- 
gation  of  feeling  and  honor  to  do  them  jus- 
tice, and  heal  the  hurts  to  their  just  pride, 
as  it  would  be  to  visit  them  in  the  hospital, 
had  they  been  wounded  bodily  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duty  near  the  General  in  the  field. 

They  were  all  young,  many  with  younger 
members  of  their  families  looking  to  them  for 
protection  and  assistance  ;  some  few  were  mar- 
ried ;  some  were  sons  of  widows;  —  and  it 
was  an  additional  sorrow  to  find  that  those 
killed  at  Springfield  comprised  the  greater 
number  of  married  men  and  some  of  the 
most  needed  sons. 

I  cannot  let  those  mothers  and  wives  feel 
our  name  only  the  synonyme  of  sorrow  and 
loss  to  them.  In  the  first  nights  after  hearing 
of  Springfield  (the  days  were  too  busy  for 
dwelling  on  thoughts)  this  thought  troubled 
me.  The  idea  of  making  the  noble  conduct 
of  the  Guard  the  means  of  providing  for  their 


PREFACE.  IX 

families  then  came  to  me  like  an  inspiration. 
It  leaves  no  sense  of  obligation,  and  their  pro- 
tection from  such  of  the  ills  of  life  as  money- 
affects  will  be  due  to  the  same  true  hearts 
and  strong  hands  that  defended  the  country  at 
Springfield.  Mr.  Raymond  was  at  the  piano 
\Vhile  I  was  thinking  this  over,  and  chanced 
upon  one  of  his  German  student  songs,  which 
so  fitted  to  and  embodied  the  Charge,  that  we 
adopted  it  at  once  as  the  Song  of  the  Guard  j 
and  then  and  there,  in  the  midnight  hours,  we 
made  each  our  contribution  to  this  Story  of 
the  Guard.  I  had  the  General's  letters,  telling 
me  very  fully  of  the  Charge  and  many  incidents 
connected  with  it.  Major  Corwine,  who  was 
Judge  Advocate  on  the  staff,  had  the  deepest 
interest  in  the  '^  Kentucky  Company,"  which 
he  had  mainly  recruited  himself;  and  the  Song 
is  from  the  memories  of  Capts.  Howard  and 
Raymond,  who  made  the  English  translation, 
and  arranged  it  for  the  piano.  The  Song  is, 
I  think,  perfectly  charming:  —  opening  with 
measured,  mufiled,  tramping  minor  chords,  it 
breaks  into  the  open  key  to  be  gathered  at  the 


X  PREFACE. 

close   of  each   verse   into   one  quivering   minor 
chord    on   the  word  "  Dying." 

Here  where  the  war  is  unseen,  and  com- 
paratively unfelt,  it  is  hard  to  make  real  the 
feeling  with  which  Union  people  hold  to  each 
other  in  a  rebel  State  actually  at  war.  In  St. 
Louis,  the  rebel  city  of  a  rebel  State,  where 
until  September  the  uniform  of  a  Federal 
officer  made  him  at  once  a  target,  those  who 
shared  the  chances  of  that  earlier  day  of  in- 
security were  as  one  household.  Disturbances 
in  the  city  were  of  almost  nightly  occurrence. 
The  house  used  as  Headquarters  was  strongly 
built  and  fire-proof,  and  part  of  the  basement 
was  a  regular  armory,  from  which  ammu- 
nition was  issued  more  than  once  "  in  the 
small  hours "  to  the  Guard,  for  some  dan- 
gerous duty  in  the  city  and  its  suburbs.  We 
literally,  and  the  city  figuratively,  slept  over  a 
magazine.  Those  were  wearing  days  and  anx- 
ious nights,  but  the  city  learned  to  rest  in  peace, 
trusting  to  the  watchfulness  of  the  Provost  Mar- 
shal General  McKinstry,  and  to  Colonel  McNeill. 
Few  knew  of  the  constant  activity  and  perpetual 


PREFACE.  xi 

vigilance  of  Zagonyi  and  the  Guard.  Many  of 
these  young  men  were  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  and 
knew  the  sources  of  dan2;er.  As  the  work  of  the 
department  became  centralized,  and  telegraphic 
and  other  government  records  were  to  be  taken 
care  of  at  Headquarters,  the  Guard  was  put 
on  duty  inside  of  the  house,  where  many  hun- 
dred persons  were  daily  passing  to  and  from  the 
various  offices. 

It  is  smooth  sailing  in  St.  Louis  now  ;  but  the 
first  company  of  the  Guards  are  among  those 
who  remember   a  different  order  of  things. 

This  is  to  you  a  digression  ;  but  I  mean  it  to 
explain  why  we  had  for  the  Guard  a  more  per- 
sonal feeling  than  could  grow  up  in  ordinary  war 
or  in  the  formal  life  of  barracks. 

I  will  put  together  such  material  as  I  have, 
and  leave  it  to  you  to  make  it  successful.  You 
will  see  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  regular 
"  book  "  of  it,  —  it  is  really  nothing  more  than 
the  fireside  story  of  the  Guard ;  interesting 
from  the  facts,  —  interesting  because  in  ten 
thousand  homes  some  vacant  place  will  lend  a 


Xii  PREFACE. 

Stronger  interest  to  the  tale.  I  hope  something, 
too,  from  the  kindly  interest  of  old  friends  of 
my  father's. 

These  young  men  gave  their  lives  to  save 
the  State  he  loved  so  well  and  served  so  long. 
Some  rest  there,  as  he  does,  until  the  last  trum- 
pet-call. 

For  any  personal  object  I  should  never  use 
my  name  which  has  been  to  me  a  double  charge 
to  keep,  but  I  think  my  father  also  would  more 
than  approve,  when  it  is  to  do  justice  and  to  aid 
the  widow  and  the  orphan. 

Such  as  it  is,  my  offering  goes  to  make  a  fund 
for  them,  and  I  turn  over  the  manuscript  to  you, 
relying  on  your  experience  and  good  sympathy 
to  manage  the  rest.  My  part  is  to  give  you  the 
story  of  the  Guard,  and  yours  is  to  make  it 
profitable  to  them.  If  Mr.  Ticknor  and  your- 
self will  be  bankers,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Eliot,  in  St. 
Louis,  and  Major  Corwine,  in  Cincinnati,  will 
see  a  just  use  made  of  the  fund.  The  New- 
hall  family  would  look  up  any  Philadelphians 
of  the  Guard,  —  for  there  may  be  some  needs 
from    tedious    wounds,    and    a    wounded    sol- 


PREFACE.  xiii 

dier  is  as  worthy  of  care  as  even  children  and 
women.  But  with  this  I  have  nothing  to 
do.  My  part  is  to  collect  and  arrange  some 
facts  and  incidents,  and  give  them  with  all 
my  best  wishes  for  success  to  the  tribunal  I 
was  educated  to  believe  in  —  a  faith  confirmed 
by  my  own  experience. 

JESSIE  BENTON  FREMONT. 
New  York,  5th  December,  1861. 


THE  STORY   OF   THE   GUARD. 


There  was  a  time  —  not  long  ago  if 
measured  by  months  —  when  so  quiet  and 
remote  was  the  life  we  led  that  I  found 
out  then  who  read  the  whole  of  maga- 
zines, and  new  books,  and  even  newspa- 
pers ;  and  through  this  bond  of  a  past 
experience  have  learned  to  realize  that 
somewhere  facts  are  taken  in  and  cher- 
ished, make  roots,  and  bear  fruit.  Our 
brain-rations  came  twice  a  month,  and,  al- 
though a  month  old  when  they  did  reach  us, 
had  about  them  a  freshness  and  zest  which 
had  never  been  obtained  in  long  city  expe- 


16  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

rience.  How  faithfully  everything  gets  read, 
and  how  living  and  real  the  creations  of 
fancy  get  to  be  in  this  healthy  slowness  of 
absorption.  This  is  talking  mysteries  to 
the  regular  citizen  who  has  never  known 
a  long  interval — a  good  wearing  interval — 
of  a  year  or  two  years  of  genuine  country 
life,  which  (when  it's  over)  it's  worth  hav- 
ing gone  through  for  the  new  perceptions 
acquired.  A  mental  Grsefenberg  process 
to  one  accustomed  to  turn  only  to  the  few 
preferred  pages  of  some  favorite  author, 
and  throw  by  the  rest  of  the  magazine. 
Where  but  in  countriest  country  does  one 
hear,  "  I  won't  cut  the  leaves  yet  —  I've 
not  finished  the  last  number  " '?  Where 
else  does  the  dreadful  certainty  obtain  that 
there  is  time  and  to  spare  for  hoth  num- 
bers I  But  when  the  solitude  and  fasting 
from  print  begin  to  tell,  and  give  the  nat- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  YJ 

ural  flavor  to  simples,  then  comes  a  real 
enjoyment  of  reading  such  as  book-stores 
a  discretion  cannot  yield. 

You  are  in  some  green  solitude  where 
there  is  no  collection  of  books  within  many 
miles,  —  in  a  new  State  perhaps, —  and  you 
see  it  is  going  to  rain  again,  or  snow,  and  you 
have  read  up  everything.  "You"  means 
a  woman,  of  course ;  a  man  would  be  glad 
of  a  long  rain,  or  a  snow  and  a  thaw,  that 
would  give  him  some  quiet  days  for  going 
over  papers  in-doors ;  but  you  have  no  pa- 
pers, and  all  your  days  are  quiet,  and  if 
it  rains,  you  "  can't  get  out."  You  have 
no  letters  to  answer,  if  you've  been  "in 
the  country  "  a  year ;  —  the  term  of  mourn- 
ing is  over  for  you,  long  ago,  and  the  long 
letters  of  the  first  months  have  subsided 
into  rare, — 

"  I    have    been    trying  to    find  time    to 


18  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

write  you  a  long  letter,  but  we've  been 
so  busy  with  this,  that,  and  the  other, 
and  are  you  never  coming  backl" 
and  such  like  polite  vaguenesses,  so  that 
you  feel  you  are,  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses, ghosts  on  a  foreign  shore. 

It  is  mail-day,  (you  have  become  blunt- 
ed to  the  fact  that  there  are  interme- 
diate days  Avhich  are  not  mail-days,)  and 
you  watch,  and  even  listen  for  the  horse's 
feet.  For  your  genuine  country  mail 
comes  only  within  an  easy  ride  of  your 
house,  and  you  connect  by  coachman  and 
horse  with  mail-coach.  There  he  comes  ! 
You  don't  see  the  parcel.  It's  a  small 
mail,  then,  and  carried  in  the  pocket. 
You  rather  hang  back  from  knowing 
your  fate,  but  it  comes  to  you,  if  you 
won't  meet  it,  and  says,  remorselessly,  — 
"Stage  couldn't  cross  Dry  Creek."    That's 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  JQ 

the  way   of  Dry  Creeks— not   to   turn   a 
mill-wlieel    in    j)leasant    weather,    and   sud- 
denly to  grow    into   a   roaring    torrent    in 
the  course  of  a  night.     You  ask  in  sarcas- 
tic tones,  that  would  make  Naiads  wretch- 
ed,   if    they   were   acquaintances,     "  When 
will  Dry  Creek  be  fordable  ]  "  and  get  for 
answer,  "  Well,  if  it  rains,  (and  'pears  like 
rain,  — if  it  don't   rain  by  night,  it's  most 
sure    to    rain    before    daylight,)   why   then 
you'll    allow    they    won't    git    over    before 
next   week  — four    or  five  days,    anyhow." 
You   know   the   man   to   be  fearfully  expe- 
rienced in  weather-signs,  and  yield  to  the 
impassable  gulf  of  a  Dry  Creek   modified 
by  the  rainy  season. 

Of  course  it  rains;  and  the  horrid  pa- 
pers that  bar  you  out  from  companion- 
ship are  taken  up,  and  silence  sets  in. 
So  you  devote  yourself  to  toning-down  to 


20  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

indoor-pitch  two  boys  whose  riotous  health 
rather  endangers  the  needed  quiet;  and 
when  at  last  they're  off  to  bed,  with  a 
compliment  for  their  good  behavior,  (car- 
rying off  your  honors !)  you  feel  your 
mind  is  fagged  and  longing  for  the  rest 
of  fresh  ideas.  Being  a  woman,  you  want 
to  read,  in  place  of  going  wholesomely  to 
sleep  at  early  candle-light.  Then  it  is  that 
the  lesser  stars  find  their  chance  to  shine. 
You  pile  on  more  wood,  draw  the  lights 
nearer,  and  gathering  all  the  last  mail,  go 
through  it  again.  Rare,  and  always  to  be 
treasured,  are  the  exceptional  times  when  in 
this  deep,  secure  solitude  and  stillness  some 
book  that  was  indeed  a  book  rose  on  the 
night,  and  took  its  place  among  the  things 
that  are  joys  forever.  On  such  a  night  as 
this,  I  read  the  "Idylls  of  the  King."  Not 
a   human    sound    to  break    the  stillness  — 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  OJ 

the  hum  from  the  great  fire  of  logs, 
the  scraping  of  the  oak  houghs  agahist 
the  roof — the  straining,  rushing  sound  of 
the  wind  among  the  pines,  and  that  unde- 
finahle  mourning  wail  made  by  coming 
storms  among  mountains  —  to  this  accom- 
paniment I  read  of  rude  Geraint,  and 
too-patient  Enid,  with  her  brave  song  — 
of  Elaine  and  her  sweetest  story  of  true 
girlish  love,  and  the  half  disgust  that 
might  well  come  over  Lancelot  as  he 
realized  "  what  might  have  been  " — of  the 
impossible  Arthur,  humanized  by  his  wo- 
ful  wrongs,  and  brought  within  our  sym- 
pathies by  his  grand  courtesy  and  for- 
bearance—  then  re-reading  of  that  closing 
scene  where  the  good  knight,  having 
fought  his  last  fight,  and  lying  so  deeply 
smitten  through  the  helm,  had  yet  one 
drop  more  of  bitter  held  to  his  lips.     Sir 


Bedivere  had  the  grace  to  repent  and  feel 
ashamed,  hut  first  he  gave  his  king  and 
friend  one  more  turn  of  the  screw  —  it 
belongs  with  Peter's  weeping.  The  wind 
drawing  through  the '  narrow  valley  be- 
tween the  high  mountain  ranges  made  a 
weird  but  noble  harmony  with  the  wail 
that  rose  from  the  funeral  barge. 

But  all  this  digression  is  only  to  show 
that  out  of  those  years  of  seclusion  I 
brought  away  new  perceptions,  and  now 
that  I  am  back  among  books,  having,  as 
Bridget  Elia  says  of  prints,  "  nothing  to 
do  but  to  walk  into  Colnaghi's"  and  get  my 
fill,  I  often  remember  that  past  time  ;  and, 
because  I  know  many  more  read  in  that 
way  than  in  the  unsatisfactory  surface  man- 
ner one  must  in  cities,  I  will  venture  to 
hope  for  this  little  story  a  thorough  reading, 
with   a    kindly   appreciation    of   the    many 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  23 

feelings  that  make  its  telling  not  intrusive, 
I  trust. 

The  wire-net  tables  at  the  florists,  with 
their  showy  exhibition  of  stemless  flow- 
ers, bear  the  same  relation  to  the  garden- 
beds,  where  their  mates  are  yet  blooming 
and  growing,  as  the  ordinary  city  reader 
does  to  those  who  have  leisure  to  feel,  and 
to  whom  I  commend  this  Christmas-tale  of  a 
great  deed  —  told  in  two  lines  in  the  papers 
—  but  bringing  heavy  sorrow  for  life  to 
some,  and,  to  all  who  truly  love  and  honor 
our  flag,  unending  pride  in  the  Body  Guard. 

And  if  any  one  should  say.  What,  that 
old  story  !  I  beg  to  answer  that  what  De 
3Iusset  says  of  Love  is  equally  true  of 
Truth :  "  It  is  never  old  and  never  new, 
because  it  is  eternal." 

There   is   an    English    picture,    familiar 


24f  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

to  US  through  its  Kthographed  form,  called 
"  The  Telegraph." 

It  is  the  interior  of  a  quiet  English 
home,  where  mother  and  children  are  at 
their  steady,  calm,  home  occupations. 
Through  the  open  window,  over  fair  miles 
of  field  and  wood,  is  seen  a  distant  train. 
It  concerns  them  not.  It  is  rushing  to 
a  husy  life  that  is  not  theirs.  Their  life 
is  told  hy  the  room  —  in  their  simple 
occupations  —  in  the  portrait  on  the  wall 
—  they  are  to  labor  and  to  wait ;  he 
serves. 

The  little  maid  shows  in  the  boy  from 
the  Station  with  a  telegraphic  despatch, 
and  instantly,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
there  is  a  great  change.  Struck  by  light- 
ning as  effectually  as  though  her  black 
garments  were  the  charred  remains  from 
that   stroke,    the    mother    is    widowed,    the 


THE  STORY   OF   THE  GUARD.  25 

children    orphaned,    by    the    slip    of    paper 
in  her  relaxed,  fainting  hand. 

When    in    the    telegraphic    news-column 
we  read, 

"  Major  Zagonyi,  with  one  hundred  and 
fifty  of  the  Body  Guard,  attacked  and  drove 
from  Springfield  over  two  thousand  rebels, 
with  a  loss  of  only  fifteen  men," 
some  women  knew  that  that  '=  fifteen " 
carried  a  death-stroke  to  as  many  hearts. 
Prayers  that  this  cup  might  pass  from 
her  went  up  with  fear  and  trembhng 
from  many  a  wife  and  mother.  Some 
days  must  pass  before  the  fearful  doubt 
settles  into  a  worse  fact.  Give  your 
tenderest  pity  to  the  mother  who  learned 
in  the  same  day  that  at  Little  Gauley 
and  at  Springfield  two  boys,  her  sons, — 
and  she  was  a  widow,  —  lay  dead. 


n. 

WHY  THE   GUARD  WAS  FORIMED. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  reasons  for 
cavalry,  the  prairie  nature  of  the  country 
to  be  operated  over,  and  the  habits  of  its 
settlers,  made  a  special  need  for  efficient 
cavalry  in  the  army  of  the  Mississippi. 
In  this  abundant  grain  region,  where  the 
most  negligent  farming  is  amply  remedied 
by  the  natural  prairie  growth  of  forage,  rid- 
ing-horses are  as  much  a  matter  of  course 
as  work-horses  only  would  be  on  a  North- 
ern farm.  The  rifle  hangs  over  every 
fireplace ;  between  game  and  Indians,  it 
has  little  rest.  Given  a  gun  and  a  horse, 
the  inevitable  result  on  the  frontiers  is  a 
hunter ;  if  a  war  comes,  the  cavalry  soldier 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.       QH 

is  ready.  Opposing  infantry  would  be 
lauglied  to  scorn  by  these  men,  to  whom 
horsemanship,  the  country  to  be  gone  over, 
and  a  brave    enemy,   are    equally   familiar. 

In  Missouri,  this  war  material  acquired 
something  of  a  military  organization  from 
the  protracted  struggles  with  Kansas,  and 
was  fostered  and  protected  by  government 
money  and  ammunition,  and  the  powerful 
aid  of  government  favor.  For  four  years 
preceding  the  war,  government  patronage 
and  political  honors  were  the  portion  of 
the  Hiithful  to  the  Southern  side;  and  the 
same  agency  made  it  unprofitable  and  un- 
popular and,  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis, 
unfashionable,  to  be  w^ith  the  North  and 
for  Freedom, 

It  was  necessary  to  form  our  brave  and 
willing  but  comparatively  untrained  men 
into    cavalry,  which    could    not    only    com- 


£8  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

pete  with  the  frontiersmen  and  their  tough 
horses  in  the  things  they  knew,  but,  hav- 
ing other  knowledge  added,  be  their  su- 
periors in  any  encounter.  A  shameful 
number  of  regular  officers  had  deserted; 
those  who  remained  were  nearly  all  on 
duty  east  of  the  Mississippi  Valley ;  and 
the  difficulty  of  officering  and  rendering 
efficient  the  masses  of  untrained  troops 
was  a  serious  embarrassment. 

Fortunately  our  adopted  citizens  recog- 
nized that  Freedom  was  of  no  nationahty; 
and  the  swords  that  had  been  used  in  its 
behalf  in  Germany  and  Hungary  were 
taken  down  and  offered  to  aid  in  saving 
its  very  hearth-stone,  as  the  United  States 
had  seemed  to  them. 

Amonof  those  of  whose  tried  skill  and 
courage  many  incidents  had  been  told  to 
us,  there  was  one  whose   particular   quali- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUAKD.  OCj 

ties  and  experience  pointed  him  out  as  best 
qualified  to  form  and  elevate  to  the  high- 
est standard  a  body  of  young  men  who 
were  to  be  chosen  with  the  purpose  of 
forming  a  school  for  cavalry  officers,  from 
which,  as  regiments  were  raised,  instructed 
officers  could  be  taken  :  and  which  could  be 
at  the  same  time  the  nucleus  for  a  regiment 
itself.  The  long  residence  of  many  Hunga- 
rian officers  in  our  midst  has  brought  home 
to  us  many  incidents  of  their  brave  struggle; 
and  one,  among  others,  related  of  Zagonyi 
showed  him  to  have  not  only  the  coolness 
and  experience  that  was  needed,  but  that 
rarer  quality,  the  capacity  for  generous 
and  unselfish  devotion.  He  proved  this 
in  twice  saving  the  Hfe  of  General  Bem 
at  the  utmost  danger  to  his  own,  —  the 
last  time  ending  in  Bem's  escape  and 
his  own  wounding  and  long  imprisonment. 


so  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

When  I  asked  Zagonyi  the  particulajs  of 
the  day  at  Hermanstadt,  his  surprise  was 
great  to  find  we  knew  of  it  at  all ;  only 
with  much  persistence  could  I  get  even 
confirmation  from  him.  His  additions  to 
the  story  were  remembrances  of  others, — 
of  an  aid  to  General  Lliders  (Russian), 
who  stopped  a  soldier  from  firing  upon 
him  as  he  lay  wounded  and  pinned  down 
by  his  dead  horse,  and  how  he  had  had 
him  carried  off  and  cared  for  as  his  con- 
dition required;  of  the  old  bugler  who 
would  stay  by  him  defending  him  until  he 
forced  him  to  go  on  and  save  the  Gen- 
eral, (Bern)  —  and  so  on.  These  experi- 
ences, grafted  on  a  thorough  military 
education,  made  Zagonyi  the  fittest  one 
to  carry  out  the  cavalry  plan ;  and  I  will 
give  his  own  account  of  the  forming  of 
the    Guard,   in    his    own    quaint    Hunga- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE   GUARD.  gl 

rian  Englisli,  which  gives  it  more  em- 
phasis and  character,  and  makes  a  brief, 
soldierly  effect  which  is  not  natural  to 
pens    feminine. 

I  once  heard  a  good  criticism  made 
unconsciously  by  that  natural  knight  and 
gentleman,  our  friend  Kit  Carson.*  In 
preparing  a  sketch  of  his  life,  a  writer 
used  the  expression,  "there  he  snared  the 
wily  beaver."  Carson  came  to  me  about  it. 
He  did  not  like  to  hurt  the  writer's  pride; 
but  said  he,  "  there's  men  that  will  read 
that,  and  they'll  know  every  word  of  that 
had  to  come  from  me  or  them,  and  it's 
not  true  that  I  snared  beaver.  Beaver 
must  be  caught  with  traj)s.''  So  I  got  it 
unsnared,  and  comforted  him;  and,  profit- 
ing by  Carson's  criticism,  I  let  the  actors 

*  Colonel    Carson,    now  on    active    duty    in    New 
Mexico. 


S2  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

speak  for  themselves.  I  should  explain 
that  all  that  I  give  from  Major  Zagonyi 
was  taken  down,  at  one  sitting,  roughly, 
as  memoranda,  not  as  a  smooth,  connected 
account,  —  for   which  there  was   not  time. 


III. 

(ZAGOXYI  SPEAKING.) 

"At  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  I  had 
the  idea  to  recruit  cavalry,  but  the  order 
appeared  that  only  one  regiment  will  be 
accepted  from  all  the  loyal  States ;  this 
at  once  cooled  down  all  the  zeal  what  I 
had,  being-  unable  to  understand  how,  with- 
out cavalry,  will  carry  on  the  war, — know- 
ing by  experience  that  in  no  country,  and 
less  in  America,  (so  big  it  is,)  can 
any  general  accomplish  this  with  success. 
Cavalry  is  necessary  for  the  security  of 
an  army ;  without  that,  no  reconnoitring 
can  be  made  on  the  enemy's  ground,  — 
incursions  so  in  small  as  large  scale  to 
annoy    them    day    and     night,    disturbing 


S4f  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

them  so  that  they  shall  never  have  a 
night's  repose,  beside  covering  our  own 
movements  so  completely  that  the  enemy 
shall  not  be  able  to  form  any  exact  idea 
from  what  point,  and  by  what  strength, 
and  with  what  disposition,  and  when,  he 
shall  be  attacked. 

"Artillery  is  to  fight  the  battle.  Cav- 
alry is  to  find  where  to  fight  it,  and  ho^v 
to  finish  it. 

"Was  the  intention  now  to  form  a  body 
of  picked  men,  each  to  be  as  officer.  As 
was  raised  regiments,  could  be  taken  from 
this  corps  well-trained  officers. 

"  Commenced  on  the  tenth  August.  On 
twelfth,  was  sworn  in  first  company,  and 
was  excluded  over  two  hundred  men. 
Besides,  from  seven  States  came  applica- 
tion by  letters.  These,  and  inside  press- 
ure in    St.   Louis,   compelled   the    General 


THE  STORY   OF   THE   GUARD.  35 

to  order  a  second  company.  After  came 
the  offer  of  the  Kentucky  company,  which, 
Kentucky  being  in  such  a " (mo- 
tion of  tlie  hand  like  a  boat  rocking) 
"  the  General  could  not  refuse.  Hav- 
ing three  companies,  through  the  cav- 
alry regulation,  we  had  to  raise  a  fourth 
to  make  the  battalion.  More  so,  because 
letters  was  lying  over  from  lawyers,  doc- 
tors, young  men  of  good  families  with 
recommendation  from  governors,  judges, 
mayors  of  cities,  &c.  Besides  some  from 
Visconsin,  where  I  was  asked  that,  if  the 
General  sends  me  with  his  name  that  he 
wants  it,  and  as  an  officer  that  we  know, 
you  can  have  five  thousand  men. 

"  And  it  turned  out  that  the  fourth  com- 
pany beat  the  others,  so  fine  it  was.  The 
fourth  company  was  a  beautiful  company; 
was  not  needed  to  force  it  to  be  filled  up. 


36  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

But  only  hundred  days'  campaign  cut  them 
short  that  they  was  not  to  see  actual 
service.  Application  was  made  of  offi- 
cers to  get  position  in  the  Guard ;  every 
one  was  refused,  being  the  rule  that 
every  officer  was  to  be  raised  from  the 
ranks." 

(The  Kentucky  company  elected  their 
officers.  The  others  Major  Zagonyi  se- 
lected. They  were  regularly  mustered  in 
for  three  years  or  the  war,  by  an  expe- 
rienced mustering  officer  of  the  regular 
army,  —  Captain,  now  Colonel  Tracy.) 

"For  one  month  I  [Zagonyi]  com- 
manded the  four  companies,  drilled  them, 
with  hardly  any  officers  or  non-commis- 
sioned officers,  as  captain  ;  later,  on  the 
nineteenth  September,  being  promoted  to 
be  a  major  —  the  regulation  gives  a  heu- 
tenant- colonel    to    four    companies.       Was 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  S^ 

only  one  captain  in  the  four  companies, 
Captain  Foley,  by  election ;  the  rest  of  the 
officers  was  as  lieutenant,  and  was  every 
one  fit  to  be  captains  and  even  major, 
one,  and  he  never  served  before.  They  was 
put  through  hard  drilling,  riding  in  the 
school,  besides  going  out  every  day  on  the 
outskirt  of  the  city  and  made  through  all 
the  manoeuvres  that  in  the  field  can  be  used, 
and  it  did  cost  many  a  bruised  face  and 
body  and  a  couple  of  ribs.  So  that  they 
had  hardly  any  time  for  rest  or  amusement. 
Besides,  in  the  midnight  received  orders 
many  a  time  to  march  out  in  fifteen 
twenty  minutes,  to  be  on  the  ground  where 
intended  disturbances  was  expected,  to  be 
ready  for  every  emergency — and  generally 
was  fifty  men  ordered,  and  before  the  fifty 
left  the  camp  every  man  who  had  horse 
and    saddle    was    in    the    rank,  —  nobody 


38  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

would  remain  behind.  I  selected  every 
horse  ;  not  a  single  horse  came  in  the 
Guard  which  did  not  go  through  my  in- 
spection. 

"  The  evening  before  we  left  St.  Louis 
we  did  not  have  sabres  enough,  nor  did 
the  rest  of  the  cavalry  regiments.  I  found 
out,  (Capt.  Callender  was  perfectly  rough 
and  used  me  badly;  I  had  to  tell  him, 
Excuse  me,  Captain,  but  I  never  took 
an  insulting  word,  and  you  must  answer 
me  decently,)  in  short,  I  find  out  from 
a  trusted  man  that  sabres  was  at  the 
arsenal  before  Capt.  Callender  knew  it, 
and  the  order  was  written  and  gone 
to  the  arsenal  before  he  knew  they  are 
there. 

"  Sabres,  Beale's  revolvers,  and  Colt's  car- 
bine with  stock  attachment,  which  we  dis- 
attached  in  the  attack,  using  revolver  only. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  gQ 

Besides,  the  night  before  leaving  camp  by 
Jefferson  City,  the  General  gave  each  offi- 
cer a  pair  of  revolvers.  Was  well  armed 
and  well   mounted." 


IV. 

THEIR  DEPARTURE. 

Unprepared  as  other  things  were,  the 
right  season  had  come ;  and  many  points 
were  right  which  marked  this  as  the  time 
for  an  advance  of  the  army,  first  against 
the  rebel  force  under  General  Price,  and — 
after  freeing  the  State  from  that  and  es- 
tablishing peace  in  the  rear — then  to  com- 
mence the  downward  move  to  New  Or- 
leans. This  ultimate  object  was  compre- 
hended by  the  whole  army,  to  whom, 
as  Western  men,  the  Mississippi  was 
the  natural  tide  to  fortune,  for  want  of 
whose  commerce  their  States  were  perish- 
ing. It  was  with  the  quick  cooperation 
of  interest  as  well  as  patriotism   that  they 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  41 

entered  into  the  idea  of  making  e very- 
sacrifice  for  success.  Very  willingly,  there- 
fore, they  took  the  field,  only  partially 
equipped  in  clothing,  and  very  partially 
in  provisions.  One  single  track  railway, 
and  a  river  with  more  snags  and  sand- 
bars than  water,  at  that  season,  were  the 
oidy  means  of  getting  the  large  army  and 
its  supplies  up  to  Lexington,  which  was 
the  point  moved  against,  about  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  above  St.  Louis.  The 
river  was  unusually  low,  and  the  weather 
remained  sunny  and  open.  A  small  gun- 
boat, improvised  from  a  ferry-boat,*  and 
carrying  five  nine-inch  Dahlgren  guns,  was 
relied  on  for  river-service,  and  much  was 
hoped  from  her  aid  at  Lexington.     But  no 

*  Since  famous  under  Captain  Porter  as  The  Essex. 
She  was  then  Tiie  New  Era,  and  commanded  by  Captain 
Rodgers,  who  had  superintended  her  fitting  out. 


42  THE  STORY  OF  TIIE  GUARD. 

ingenuity  could  get  her  to  draw  less  than 
five  and  a  half  feet,  and  on  some  of  the 
bars  there  was  not  four  feet  water. 

When  the  retreat  of  Price  turned  the 
movement  more  immediately  southward,  it 
seemed  as  if  difficulties  would  vanish.  Corn 
was  getting  ripe  and  hard  in  the  fields,  cat- 
tle could  be  secured  by  scouts  and  driven 
on  the  hoof,  fresh  corn-meal  could  be  had 
wherever  there  were  mills,  and  a  day's  halt 
could  always  be  made  to  grind  enough; 
or,  if  that  delay  would  lose  valuable  time, 
they  could,  for  the  object,  live  on  meat 
alone.  All  along  their  route  the  forage 
would  be  in  the  right  state  in  the  fields, 
so  that  the  delays  and  expense  of  great 
transportation  trains  were  to  be  avoided,  and 
yet  neither  men  nor  animals  suffer.  With 
Memphis  and  New  Orleans  in  the  near 
future,  hardships  were  felt  to  be  temporary. 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  43 

Time  enough  for  feasting  or  fastidiousness 
when  the  victory  was  won. 

It  was  a  stirring,  eager,  hopeful  time, 
that  just  before  their  leaving  St.  Louis. 
The  offices  and  halls  at  headquarters  were 
humming  with  life,  and  the  clank  and  ring 
of  sabre  and  spur  were  sounding-notes  of 
coming  battle  all  the  day  long,  and  far  into 
the  nights. 

More  harmonious  and  efficient  cooper- 
ation could  not  be  than  that  received  by  the 
General  from  his  staff:  —  there  were  also 
some  loyal  citizens  whose  brief  visits  always 
resulted  in  advantage  to  the  army.  Work- 
hig  so  late  into  the  nights,  it  got  to  be 
one  of  our  habits  to  have  tea  Russian- 
fashion,  —  so  that  without  keeping  the  ser- 
vants from  their  rest,  we  could  still  have 
it  to  refresh  us  and  keep  us  roused.  It 
will   always   stay  with    me    as    one   of  the 


4f4f  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

most  pleasant  memories  of  that  most  wear- 
ing and  most  welcome  work  of  my  life, 
how  they  came  to  that  cool  upper-hall,  and 
in  a  hurried  interval  drank  tea,  and  gave 
condensed  summaries  of  the  work  or  news; 
—  sometimes  several  would  gather  at  the 
same  time,  and  little  animated  discussions 
would  go  on,  the  latter  part  of  the  time 
chiefly  as  to  what  could  be  done  without. 
It  was  so  good  to  see  the  kind  smile  of 
amusement  with  which  the  veterans  in  ex- 
posure listened  to  such  arguments.  Such 
sufferings  outlined  in  a  few  words,  as  would 
sometimes  come  from  them  !  It  made  a 
respectful  blush  cover  the  young  faces  that 
had  been  planning  what  they  thought  sacri- 
fices. "  Is  no  need  of  tents,"  says  General 
Asboth.  "  In  Hungary  we  make  a  winter 
campaign  and  we  sleep  without  tents,  our 
feet  to  the  fire,  —  sometimes  our  ears  did 


THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  45 

freeze,"  (the  General's  ears  and  his  feet 
are  a  long-  way  apart).  But  tlie  least 
concern  on  all  minds  was  the  open  enemy 
in  the  field. 

On  the  26th  September,  they  left  St. 
Louis,  —  the  General  and  a  few  officers 
going  by  rail,  and  the  Guard  with  their 
horses  by  the  somewhat  slower  route  of  the 
river.  Really,  necessary  stores  and  trans- 
portation were  wanting ;  and  it  nmst  be 
borne  in  mind,  that,  but  for  these  impedi- 
ments General  Price  would  have  been  cer- 
tainly overtaken,  his  army  most  probably 
defeated,  and  quiet  for  the  winter  secured  to 
Missouri.  The  New  Year  would  have 
found  our  flag  at  Memphis,  and,  it  was 
reasonably  hoped,  the  usual  spring  trade 
would  descend  the  river  to  New  Orleans. 

To    accustom    the    troops    to    feel    their 


46  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Strength  was  part  of  their  training,  and 
occasions  for  skirmishing  were  always  ac- 
cepted. The  oldest  troops  in  this  Missis- 
sippi army  were  hardly  of  the  date  at  which 
Bonaparte  was  willing  to  use  his,  —  six 
weeks  ;  but  the  longest  drill  could  not 
have  made  them  more  patient  of  hardship, 
more  self-denying,  or  more  cheerful  under 
fatigue  and  privation.  "  New  Orleans,  and 
home  again  by  summer,"  was  their  main- 
spring. Sigel  earned  the  name  of  the 
"  Flying  Dutchman,"  so  jealously  did  he 
keep  his  division  in  the  advance,  —  Gen- 
eral Asboth  nearest  him,  —  General  Fre- 
mont, with  the  Guard,  overtaking  Sigel 
and  keeping  up  with  him. 

In  this  good  heart    they  started.       The 
following  letters  belong  here. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUAUD.  47 

"Jefferson  City,  September  28,  1861. 
"  Madame,  — 

"  I  am  now  on  tuaiting  duff/  in  tlie  hall, 
and  Jack  is  busily  engaged  in  writing 
despatches  in  the  General's  room,  which 
contains  also  three  beds,  three  tables,  two 
wash-stands,  the  General  himself.  Colonel 
Eaton,  one  or  two  of  the  amateur  aids, 
and  a  wood-fire.  In  short,  it  is  '  Hd. 
Qrs.,  \y.  D.'  condensed  into  a  space  of 
twelve  feet  square.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, and  knowing  that  no  one  else 
who  would  think  of  such  a  thing  will  have 
the  time  to  carry  the  plan  into  execution, 
Adlatus  R.  seizes  a  stray  piece  of  paper 
to  jot  down  a  few  of  the  incidents  of  our 
journey  and  our  reception. 

"We  had  a  very  quiet,  slow,  pleasant 
passage,  with  no  other  interruption  than 
stopping  at  all  the  bridges,  &c.      .      .     . 


48  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"  On  reaching  the  depot  here,  we  were 
met  by  Gen.  Price  and  a  red  lantern, — 
which  constituted  the  extent  of  our  recep- 
tion. You  ought  to  hear  Major  Zagonyi 
hold  forth  on  that  affair.  Gen.  P.,  in 
citizen's  clothes,  bearing  his  lantern,  led 
the  way  over  mud-puddles  and  pitfalls, 
with  Gen.  F.  and  Gen.  A.  The  unhappy 
staff  strao;p^led  on  behind.  At  leno-th  we 
arrived  at  the  Virginia  Hotel,  and  found 
that  no  preparations  had  been  made  for 
our  comfort.  Major  White  and  your  hum- 
ble servant,  the  '  Adl.,'  were  employed  till 
nearly  twelve  o'clock,  in  quartering  the 
staff.  If  we  had  not  studied  the  science 
of  '  Quarterstaff,'  I  don't  think  we  should 
ever  have  got  through.  Major  Z.,  Jack 
and  I  slept  in  the  General's  office  after  he 
went  to  bed. 

"Gen.  Price  —  who  is  one  of  the   most 


THE   STORY  OF   THE   GUARD.  49 

good-natured  men  it  has  been  my  lot  to 
meet  —  took  Zagonyi  and  men  to  a  hotel, 
and  mildly  asked,  '  Can  you  accommodate 
my  good  friends  here '? '  '  wich  they  sed 
they  couldn't  Mum.'  Whereupon  the  gal- 
lant little  major  stepped  up  and  said, 
*  You  must  give  my  boys  to  sleep,  else 
I  put  you  in  the  street,'  which  ended  in 
their  taking  seventy-two  men ! 

"  'Every  man  has  his  Price,'  you  know; 
would  that  every  soldier  had  his  '  Za- 
gonyi ! ' 

"  The  mail  is  closing,  and  these  little  bits 
of  intelligence  are  good  for  nothing,  unless 
I  send  them  soon. 

"  Hoping  that  some  weary  moment,  be- 
guiled by  the  little  history  of  our  ludi- 
crous reception,  may  excuse  the  liberty  I 
have  taken, 

"I  remain,  &c.,  &c.,  R." 

4 


50  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"Jefferson  City, 
"  29th  Sept.  —  8  in  morning. 

"  Yesterday  occupied  in  work  of  re- 
quisitions, moving  ahead  troops,  and  pla- 
cing tliem.  We  feel  severely  the  want  of 
equipments  and  arms,  especially  for  cav- 
alry. We  have,  almost  literally  speaking, 
no  appropriately-armed  cavalry  in  the  field. 
But  I  am  hoping  daily  now  to  hear  of 
the  arrival  of  sabres.  .  .  I  am  about 
going  into  camp  this  forenoon,  and  it 
threatens  rain. 

"  Tell  Dr.  Van  Buren  that  I  have  writ- 
ten for  the  surgeon  he  recommended  to 
me,  and  ask  him  to  aid  to  have  him 
come.* 

"  See  the  Sanitary  Committee,  and  tell 
them   that  the  whole  Surgical  Department 

*  Dr.  Suckley.  The  General  had  the  benefit  of  Dr. 
Suckle)  's  services  in  Virginia  last  summer. 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  51 

here  is  in  a  very  bad  condition,  —  it  gives 
me  great  anxiety.  Therefore,  as  soon  as 
they  can  spare  Dr.  Mills  for  a  short  time, 
I  would  be  very  glad  to  have  him,  that 
I  may  get  the  condition  of  the  army  in 
this  respect  better,  before  they  get  into 
the  field.  In  the  event  of  an  action,  we 
should  be  in  a  very  bad  condition." 

"J.  C.  F." 


V. 

AT  JEFFERSON  CITY. 

Seeing  he  should  be  detained  some 
days  in  that  place,  the  General  tele- 
graphed us  to  come  up.  The  ride  up 
was  full  of  painful  contrasts  to  my  old 
memories  and  more  especially  my  last 
journey  through  the  State.  I  had  so 
often  gone  to  the  frontier  with  Mr.  Fre- 
mont, when  he  was  starting  on  his  over- 
land journeys,  or  to  meet  him  on  his  re- 
turn, that  my  own  associations  \^dth  the  State 
were  of  the  hospitality  and  kind  sympathy 
so  often  and  so  warmly  given  to  me  by  its 
people.  They  would  have  done  as  much 
for  any  of  my  father's  daughters ;  but  to 
me  new  kindnesses  were  added  because  of 


THE  STORY   OF  THE   GUARD.  ^S 

Mr.  Fremont's  sharing  that  life  so  full  of 
traditions  and  perils.  The  Indian  country, 
with  its  vague  mountain  boundary,  is  to 
frontiersmen  what  the  sea  and  its  dangers 
are  to  coast  people — bringing  like  sympa- 
thies. 

After  seeing  Mr.  Fremont  off  in  the 
fall  of  '58,  I  found  the  river  so  low 
that  I  left  the  boat  which  had  brought 
me  from  Independence,  and  got  off  at 
AYashington  to  go  down  by  land. 

Although  but  about  eighty  miles  above 
St.  Louis,  the  river  falls  so  low  in  the 
autumn,  that  it  was  very  probable  (as 
proved  the  fact)  that  the  steamboat  would 
require  several  days  to  make  the  distance. 

I  was  quite  alone.  My  good  Marie,  tired 
by  the  rapid  journey  from  Washington, 
which  we  were  so  soon  to  retrace,  had 
been    left  in   St.   Louis   to  recruit,  and   so 


S4f  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

I  was  landed  from  a  little  boat,  without 
explanation  or  introduction,  all  by  myself, 
among  a  whole  crowd  on  the  bank,  who 
had  gathered  —  it  was  Sunday  afternoon 
—  to  watch  the  boat  stop,  and  wonder 
at  the  passenger  leaving  it.  There  was 
no  mark  on  my  trunk,  and  it  was  rather 
embarrassing.  The  clerk  of  the  boat  had 
told  me  there  were  only  Germans  there, 
and  no  communication  with  the  railway, 
which  was  then  finished  only  to  a  point 
about  twenty-seven  miles  lower  down. 
But  I  was  restless,  and  anywhere  in  Mis- 
souri I  felt  at  home. 

I  spoke  to  a  fatherly-looking  man, 
to  whom  I  explained  that  the  river  was 
low,  and  I  was  anxious  to  get  to  St. 
Louis  immediately,  and  asked  to  be  shown 
the  way  to  the  hotel.  In  a  very  grave 
and    silent    way  he    turned    up    the    bank, 


THE    STORY   OF   THE   GUARD.  55 

siofninof  me  to  follow,  which  I  did,  a 
little  troubled,  but  much  more  amused  by 
the  whole  crowd  following  in  solemn 
silence.  If  it  had  been  an  American 
town,  all  the  necessary,  and  some  unne- 
cessary, questions  would  have  been  asked 
and  answered  in  the  first  five  minutes. 
But  we  made  our  way  up  the  hill  and 
into  the  clean,  ugly,  comfortable  town, 
and  I  was  shown  into  the  "best  room"  of 
a  large  house,  whose  mistress  and  daugh- 
ters came  forward  and  made  me  as 
quietly  welcome  as  though  they  knew 
me.  Their  faces,  the  furniture,  the  vio- 
lins and  guitar,  and  high  pile  of  music- 
books;  the  pretty  bright  light  hair  of  the 
women,  too-tightly-plaited,  all  were  Ger- 
many itself.  I  pleased  myself  by  accept- 
ing this  unquestioning  hospitality  as  it  was 
given,  and    still    did    not    give    my  name, 


56  THE  STORY  OF    THE   GUARD. 

— only  asking  a  room,  as  I  found  I  could 
not  get  any  conveyance  until  the  next 
day.  Even  then,  they  could  only  offer  to 
see  about  one,  having  nothing  themselves. 
It  was  all  so  odd,  so  primitive,  so 
truly  good  and  hospitable,  that  I  was  at 
once  and  most  pleasantly  relieved  of  all 
embarrassment.  The  daughters  went  up 
to  prepare  a  room,  and  the  mother  soon 
showed  me  to  it.  I  had  taken  off  my  hat 
and  gloves,  and  was  smoothing  my  hair, 
when  the  mother  —  who  had  remained  in 
the  room — caught  up  my  glove,  and  burst- 
ing into  tears,  cried  out  a  sobbing  speech 
to  me  :  —  "  Ah,  dear  God  !  You  are  a 
lady  from  my  country ;  —  you  are  from 
Hesse  Cassel.  The  ladies  in  my  country 
wear  these  gloves  w^hen  they  go  hunting 
with  the  king.  They  have  stopped  in 
their    carriages    at    my  door,    and    I    have 


THE  STOKY   OF  THE  GUARD.  ^y 

carried  them  to  drink.  It  is  twenty-four 
years  since  I  come  away  from  my  coun- 
try ;  but  I  love  it  best  —  ah  !  "  —  and 
then  she  let  the  tears  downfall,  for  the 
lost  home. 

Straight  from  Hesse  Cassel  to  Mis- 
souri! —  in  1829,  too,  when  it  was  so 
new.  She  had  never  left  her  new  home. 
Sometimes  her  husband  went  to  St.  Louis. 
Otto  wanted  to  go  there,  and  he  was 
twenty- three  now ;  he  ought  to  go  to  see 
it,  &c.,  &c.  It  was  hard  to  make  her 
realize  I  was  American.  "  But  you  have 
color  in  your  face !  "  —  biennial  ague  was 
her  experience,  and  she  could  not  conceive 
of  exemption  from  it.  But  when  I  told 
her  who  I  was,  I  think  she  was  as  pleased 
as  if  I  had  been  a  lady  hunting  with  the 
kino;-.  It  loosened  the  tongfues  of  all  the 
family.     My  father  was   personally  known 


58  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

to  some,  and  they  all  held  him  as  their 
own  property.  As  they  explained  to  me, 
"  He  is  our  Senator,  and  a  friend  to  the 
Germans."  One  son-in-law  was  gone  on 
a  trading  excursion  towards  New  Mexico. 
His  young  wife  attached  herself  to  my 
side,  and  there  w^as  an  unspoken  hond 
between  us.  It  happened  to  be  the  an- 
niversary of  the  old  people's  wedding. 
They  were  so  glad  I  was  there  that  day. 
Such  an  elaborate,  bountiful  repast ! 

After  the  early  supper,  they  all  gath- 
ered in  the  large  room,  which  was  posi- 
tively elegant  from  its  glistening  cleanli- 
ness, and  the  window-seats  filled  with 
plants,  and  the  large  table  in  the  cen- 
tre, covered  with  music  and  instruments. 
With  the  same  delightful  simplicity  and 
absence  of  consciousness  which  had  marked 
everything    else    among    them,    each    took 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  59 

his  instrument  and  place  by  the  table, — 
sons  and  sons-in-law,  —  the  fiither  and 
several  of  the  younger  women  taking 
their  music,  and  then  followed  piece  after 
piece  of  such  music  as  only  Germans  can 
play  rightly,  —  occasionally  all  joining  in 
a  lovely  song. 

Wonderfully  large  tumblers  of  beer 
stood  by  each  musician,  but  there  was 
but  little  break  to  what  was,  evidently, 
their  habitual  evening's  occupation  —  not 
even  when  one  substantial  citizen  after 
another  came  in  to  make  his  respects  to 
my  father  through  me,  and  to  wish  a 
good  voyage  to  Mr.  Fremont. 

Very  early  the  next  morning  I  start- 
ed to  make  the  intervening  twenty-seven 
miles,  in  the  best  conveyance  the  sud- 
den demand  could  afford  —  a  country-cart 
without  springs,  and  a  plough-horse.     And 


60  THE  STOR.'  OF  THE  GUARD. 

SO,  in  the  gray  dawn,  I  left  these  kind 
people,  loaded  with  presents  from  their  best 
vintages  for  my  father,  and  followed  by 
their  kindest  good  wishes  for  myself.  Otto, 
farmer,  tenor,  and  guitarist,  had  at  length 
his  chance.  He  drove  me  to  the  depot, 
and  then  saw  me  to  St.  Louis,  where  my 
dear  friend  and  cousin  —  whose  charming 
home  was  then  as  now  mine  also,  when 
there  —  made  him  welcome  to  hospital- 
ity as  genuine  as  his  own,  although  so 
diflferent  in  its  fashion. 

I  had  been  long  revolving  many  mem- 
ories when  we  reached  the  dining-station  of 
Hermann  —  also  a  German  town,  and  very 
near  this  town  of  Washington.  Now,  as 
then,  the  Germans  were  friends ;  but  along 
the  whole  route  guards  were  stationed.  We 
moved  slowly,  at  best,  as  we  had  a  heavy 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  61 

train,  nearly  a  regiment,  and  some  artil- 
lery; and  at  every  bridge  the  train  stop- 
ped and  parleyed  with  the  force  on 
guard ;  then,  feeling  the  way  cautiously, 
we  moved  forward  again.  The  new 
timbers  in  some  of  the  bridges,  with 
the  charred  remains  on  the  shore,  ex- 
plained some  of  this  caution; — but  every- 
w^here  the  stamp  of  insecurity  was  on 
the  country.  No  more  careless  travel 
among  a  friendly  people.  My  good  old 
frontier  friends,  I  fear,  are  mostly  gone 
secessionward. 

It  was  so  orood  to  reach  home-faces 
at  the  close  of  the  day.  The  General 
was  at  the  depot  to  meet  us,  as  were 
quite  a  number  of  officers,  whose  wives 
had  taken  this  last  chance  of  seeing 
them.  We  had  room  for  some  in  the 
large     ambulance     waiting     for     us,     and 


62  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

drove  out  to  the  camp,  while  our  fellow- 
passengers  —  the  regiment  —  took  the 
drier  and  more  direct  road  ov^er  the 
hills,  their  flaor  seeminof  to  wave  us  an 
assurance  of  welcome  and   protection. 

Soon  we  were  in  a  loyal  atmosphere, 
where  a  Sibley  tent,  with  a  board  floor, 
and  a  glowing  camp-fire  in  front,  made 
again  the  old  pleasant  effect  of  frontier 
hospitality. 

Our  stay  was  over  in  a  few  days.  Early 
on  Monday  we  saw  the  tents  struck  and 
the  whole  force  move  off;  as  my  youngest 
boy  said,  "  packed  up  for  the  battle-field," 
and  then  took  our  way  back  to  St.  Louis. 
But  the  day  before  having  been  very  hot, 
the  General  fixed  the  hour  before  sun- 
down for  the  Evening-Service,  and  then 
was  the  real  leave-taking  of  the  troops, 
who  were  with   the   rising  of  the  sun    to 


TUE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  Qg 

turn  their  faces  away  from  their  river 
and  march  inland.  Nearest  the  Staff  stood 
the  Guard  drawn  up  in  open  square. 
They  justified  all  Zagonyi  has  said  of 
them.  All  of  nearly  the  same  age  and 
height,  with  great  similarity  of  habits 
and  of  education,  and  all  guided  by  the 
same  enthusiasm  in  a  noble  cause,  they 
looked  what  they  were  :  the  true,  knightly 
embodiment  of  war.  Their  compact  un- 
adorned uniform  of  dark  blue  gave  depth 
of  tone  to  the  picture,  as  they  stood 
relieved  against  the  setting  sun  and  the 
nearer  groundwork  of  autumnal  foliage. 
At  the  close  of  the  services,  their  band 
played  the  dear  old  hymn  of  "  Old  Hun- 
dred," and  these  manly  young  voices  sang 
its  grand  and  simple  prayer,  and  then  all 
heads  bared  to  the  benediction.  After  a 
moment's    pause,    at    the    regular    military 


64  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

drum-beat  they  fell  back  to  their  soldier- 
life  and  walk,  and  went  on  their  way,  and 
I  saw  them  all  no  more. 

As  the  light  died  from  the  sky  the 
camp-fires  brightened  on  the  far  hill-sides; 
from  all  the  camps  we  could  hear  late 
into  the  night  hymn-tunes ;  —  and  so, 
with  reverent  hearts  and  heightened  pur- 
pose, they  made  their  farewell  to  their 
homes. 

When  the  Emperor  —  then  still  Pres- 
ident —  gave  back  the  Imperial  Eagles 
to  the  French  army,  the  banners  were  all 
blessed  at  an  altar  erected  on  the  Champ 
de  Mars.  Over  sixty  thousand  troops  were 
on  the  ground,  and  the  surrounding  crowd 
was  in  hundreds  of  thousands.  That  used 
to  stay  on  my  memory  as  the  grandest  of 
religious  war  ceremonies  :  that  great  host 
bowing    reverently    as    the    sacred    symbol 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  55 

was  elevated  over  the  emblem  of  the  old 
glories  of  France.  But  far  more  touch- 
ing and  impressive  is  it  now  to  remember 
this  home-scene  with  all  its  terrible  inner 
history  of  a  Cain-and-Abel  strife,  and  rec- 
ognize that  our  army  not  only  felt  it  could 
ask  the  blessing  of  God,  but  that  it  did 
so  ;  —  and  it  will  be  given.  What  is  sown 
in  tears  and  weakness  now  shall  yet  be 
raised    in    power. 


"  When  I  thouglit  that  a  war  would  arise  in   defence 
of  the  right, 

That  an  iron  tyranny  now  should  bend  or  cease, 
The  glory  of  manhood  stand  on  his  ancient  height, 

Nor  the  nation's  one  sole  God  be  the  miUionnaire ;  — 

And  as  months  ran  on  and  rumor  of  battle  grew, 
It  is  time,  it  is  time,  0  passionate  heart,  said  I, 
(For  I  cleaved  to  a  cause  that  I  felt  to  be  pure  and 
true,) 


66  THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

And  I  stood  on  a  giant  deck  and  mixed  my  breath 
With  a  loyal  people  shouting  a  battle-cry, 
Till  I  saw  the  dreary  phantom  arise  and  fly 

Far  into  the  North,  and  battle,  and  seas  of  death. 

Let  it  go  or  stay,  so  I  wake  to  the  higher  aims 

Of  a  land  that  has  lost  for  a  little  her  lust  of  gold, 

And   love   of  a  peace   that  was   full  of  wrongs   and 
shames : 
Horrible,  hateful,  monstrous,  not  to  be  told  ; 
And  hail  once  more  to  the  banner  of  battle  unrolled. 

Let  it  flame  or  fade,  and  the  war  roll  down  like  a 

wind. 
We  have  proved  we  have  hearts  in  a  cause,  we  are 

noble  still. 
And  myself  have   awaked,  as  it  seems,  to  the  better 

mind  ; 
It  is  better  to  fight  for  the  good  than  to  rail  at  the 

ill; 
I  have  felt  with  my  native  land,  I  am  one  with  my 

kind, 
I  embrace  the  purpose  of  God,  and  the  doom  assigned." 


VI. 

EN  ROUTE. 

I  HAVE  chosen  to  give  some  letters  in  my 
possession  rather  than  a  connected  narrative 
of  the  march.  These  letters  contain  many 
items  of  interest,  and  form  the  best  con- 
necting link  with  Springfield.  Some  of 
them  are  from  two  young  officers  whom 
I  had  long  known  in  their  families  at 
New  York,  part  addressed  to  me,  and 
part  to  private  friends,  who  kindly  placed 
them  at  my  disposal. 

"Jefferson  City,  Oct.  4,  1862. 
" .     .     .     .     Night   before    last,    Major 
Frank  White  and  Jack  were    called  from 
their  beds  to  '  saddle  and  away '  with  im- 


68  THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

portant  orders.  No  sooner  were  they 
gone,  and  I  fairly  settled  again,  sleepily 
glad  that  it  wasn't  I,  than  the  alarm  was 
beat,  or  rather  sounded  in  camp.  Now 
those  persevering  buglers  practise  the  alarm 
all  day  long  in  the  woods  about  camp; 
and  I  am  compelled  to  say  that  its  repe- 
tition at  midnight  startled  nobody,  except 
the  Guard,  who  were  in  the  saddle  al- 
most instantly.  As  for  the  Staff,  they 
slumbered  in  sweet  security,  until  the  gal- 
lant Zagonyi  went  round  to  every  tent, 
putting  in  his  head  and  saying,  '  Gentle- 
men, it  is  the  alarm !  You  will  please 
to  get  up  in  one  minute  !  ' 

"  At  this  we  jumped  up.  What  was 
my  consternation  to  find  that  the  boys 
had  '  taken  their  pick '  of  boots  and  spurs 
when  they  went,  leaving  me  with  one  odd 
boot.     But  there  was  no  time  to  lose;   so 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  gQ 

I  ruslied  out  into  the  parade-ground,  with 
a  slipper  on  the  other  foot.  The  General 
stood,  silent  and  courteous,  before  his  tent, 
and  received  our  reports.  I  kept  my  best 
foot  foremost,  and  escaped  notice  in  the 
dark.  Some  slight  disturbance  had  occa- 
sioned the  alarm;   but  the  General  wished 

to   try  the    Staff  and    Guard.     and 

did    not    get    up    at    all.      I    think 

they  had  the  best  of  it,  unless  the  Gen- 
eral may  have  noticed  their  absence,  in 
which  case  they  may  be  sure  they  are 
'  down  a  peg,'  and  won't  recover  it  very 
soon.  Well,  we  all  went  to  bed,  and 
reveille  awoke  us  at  four. 

"  Last  night,  Jack  and  I  were  called 
to  write  despatches  and  then  carry  them. 
The  orders  were  no  less  than  march  at 
dayl'ujlit !  to  many  of  the  troops.  The 
General    has    a  penchant,    which   I   regard 


70  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

with  unaffected  hostility,  for  writing  or- 
ders at  1  A.  M.,  and  sending  them  as 
soon  as  the  ink  is  dry.  It  is  true,  he  is 
safe  from  rebel  spies  by  this  means ;  but 
consider  the  unpleasant  position  in  which 
it  places  a  merely  ornamental  young  gen- 
tleman, who,  being  deceived  by  the  Public 
Press,  thought  that  Fremont's  aids  had 
nothing  to  do  but  look  their  prettiest  and 
draw  their  pay.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
neither  of  these  interesting  occupations  lies 
open  to  us.  Instead  thereof,  the  most 
abominable  night- rides,  over  roads  that 
yawn  with  chasms  and  are  red  with  bot- 
tomless mud,  past  sentinels  who  invari- 
ably cock  the  gun,  aim  at  your  head, 
and  put  finger  to  the  trigger  when  they 
challenge  you,  in  vain  search  after  mythic 
camps.  Alas !  couldn't  the  General  have 
arranged    the    Art  of   War  so  as  to  omit 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  J I 

rainy  nights  and  keep  a  fellow  comfort- 
able ! 

"  At  all  events,  it  was  very  comfortable 
to  get  back  to  bed,  towards  morning. 
Before  we  could  fall  asleep,  however,  the 
rattle  of  the  '  long  roll '  on  the  hills 
around  showed  that  the  orders  were  be- 
ginning to  work.  The  Staflf  was  thor- 
oughly aroused.  Several  came  to  our 
tent,  to  know  if  we  could  explain  the 
rumpus.  Alarm  beating,  men  under  arms, 
cooks  lighting  their  fires,  and  all  the  signs 
of  the  dickens  to  pay.  We  pretended 
great  ignorance,  —  said  it  was  only  a 
dru?n'ti\'drm,  and  had  nothing  to  do  with 
our  camp,  which  answers  to  the  bugle. 
It  was  amusing  to  see  the  very  ones  who 
lay  abed  the  night  before,  now  so  lively 
about  nothing  at  all. 

"  This    morning    by    seven,    the    white 


7^  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

tents  which  so  thickly  studded  the  hills 
were  gone,  and  nothing  to  be  seen  but 
men  marching,  or  sitting  around  their 
fires,    drinking    their    morning    coffee. 

'•  The  General  has  ordered  strong  cof- 
fee to  the  troops  every  morning  at  day- 
light. It  not  only  keeps  off  ague,  but 
warms  them  up,  and  puts  them  in  good 
humor." 


"  Camp  Asboth,  sear  Tipton, 
"  Oct.  9,  3  p.  M. 

"  .  .  We  are  encamped  about  a  mile 
beyond  the  town,  the  neighborhood  of 
which  shows  more  the  gathering  of  an 
army  by  a  great  deal  than  you  saw  at 
Jefferson  City.  Where  we  camped  last 
night,  at  California,  the  country  round  is 
all  secession ;  but  a  few  miles  this  side  we 
fell    into    an   enthusiastic    loyal    population, 


THE  STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  ^3 

who  came  out  along  the  road  to  express 
their  pleasure  at  our  coming*.  About  this 
town  there  is  more  secession  again,  but 
the  rebel  part  have  mostly  left.  Price  is 
still  retreating. 

"  I  am  endeavoring  hard  to  get  the  army 
a  little  better  equipped.  I  had  hoped  to 
get  the  arms,  a  portion  of  which  are  being 
altered  at  Cincinnati,  and  some  more  sabres. 
In  many  things  Captain  McKeever  and 
Captain  C alien der  have  worked  very  effi- 
ciently to  aid  me,  and  we  shall  be  much 
better  equipped  than  I  had  hoped.  The 
army  is  in  the  best  kind  of  spirits,  and 
before  we  get  through  I  will  show  you  a 
little  California*  practice,  that  is,  if  we 
are  not  interrupted.  I  think  we  can  do 
something  good. 

*  In  allusion  to  the  fine  marching  of  the  California 
Battalion  in  1845-46. 


74  THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

"...  I  want  very  much  to  see  Cap- 
tain Foote  if  he  is  in  St.  Louis.  If  not, 
I  will  write  him  by . 

" ....  I  send  you  Whittier's  lines. 
What  a  fine  illustration  might  be  made 
of  them.  The  rice-field  with  its  acces- 
sories, the  slaves  at  work,  and  the  raised 
and  listening  heads  as  they  first  catch  the 
sounds  from  far  off.  Be  of  good  heart, — 
we  are  fulfilling  the  task  allotted  to  us, 
and  we  will  try  to  do  it  bravely 

"  Our  force  about  the  State  begins  to 
work  well.  When  the  alarm  came  to  me 
yesterday  about  Hermann,  I  was  able  to  as- 
semble men  around  it  so  quickly  that  there 
must  have  been  three  thousand  three  hun- 
dred there  this  morning,  and  this  evening 
seven  hundred  more  of  cavalry  in  rear  of 
rebels,  and  Wyman  with  thirteen  hundred 
more  available.     So  there  would  have  been 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  ^5 

no  clamor  about  reenforcements.  After  a 
few  weeks  in  the  field,  this  will  be  one 
of  the  finest  armies  in  the  world. 

"J.  C.  F." 


"  Camp  Asboth,  lOth. 

"...  I  received  this  morning 's 

despatch  informing  me  that  the  Secretary 
at  War  and  General  Thomas  will  be  in 
St.  Louis  to-day.  I  am  going  on  with 
formation  of  the  plan  I  had  indicated  to 
you  in  my  letter  of  yesterday.  What  the 
full  plan  is,  I  will   let   you  know  by  sure 

hand,  and  will  also  inform ,  so 

that  you  and  he  may  work  together  in  aid 
of  it.  All  this,  provided  I  am  not  inter- 
fered with.  General  Price  is  on  the 
Osage,  pretty   high  up,  retreating  towards 


76  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

the  south.  His  object  is  to  effect  junction 
with  McCullough.  That  is,  he  says  so. 
But  in  my  judgment  he  intends  retreating 
into  Arkansas.  McCullough,  I  am  sure, 
is  not  in  Missouri.  We  are  having  a 
severe    rain-storm. 

"J.  C.  F." 


"  Camp  Asboth, 
"  1  h.  40  m.,  10th  Oct. 

I  have  written  you  lots  of  scraps  to- 
day. It  is  raining  and  storming  hard, 
but  the  rain  does  not  delay  us  much, 
for  the  railroad  serves  nearly  as  well  as 
in  fine  weather,  and  1  am  getting  a 
chance  to  get  from  below  what  little 
transportation  means  we  have  on  hand. 
This    makes    our    great    difficulty. 

I    want   the    Secretary  at    War    to    put 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  "^ 

an  end  to  tliat  kind  of  action  which  is 
impeding  me  by  producing  want  of  con- 
fidence.     I     think     is     not 

friendly  to    me,    and    therefore    I    have    a 
rio^ht    to   demand   tliat   he   be   at    once   re- 
moved    from    my  department.      I    think  lie 
has    been    purposely  sent    with    the  object, 
that  being   unfriendly  he   would  embarrass 
me.     I  ought  not  to  have  impediments  — 
circumstances    always   bring  enough  neces- 
sarily. ..... 

«J.   C.   F." 


"  Camp  Asboth,  near  Tipton, 
"  Oct.  10,  1861. 

"  It  being  a  rainy  day,  a  leisure  day, 
and  not  my  day  to  swear,  I  am  in  a  fit 
mood  to  remember  your  kind  request,  and 
report  to  you  concerning  the  various 
Httle  incidents  and   accidents  of  the  march 


78  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

and  bivouac,  which  give  on  the  whole  a 
truer  picture  of  us  than  documents  and 
despatches  by  the  score.  Behold  me, 
therefore,  seated  on  my  bed  (!)  lifting  my 
heels  at  intervals  from  the  wet  ground, 
muffled  in  a  great  overcoat,  and  writing 
on    my  knees. 

"Let  me  plunge  at  once  in  medias  res. 
The  first  day's  ride  was  delightful,  even 
to  the  heavy  men.  They  were  all  re- 
joiced, at  the  end  of  nine  miles,  when 
we  stopped  for  the  night,  to  find  how 
well  they  bore  '  the  hardships  of  a  sol- 
dier's life.'  Our  first  camp  was  pitched 
in  a  swamp,  for  the  same  reason  why 
John  went  to  a  certain  place  — '  because 
there  was  much  water  there.'  Captain 
Haskell,  who  selected  the  ground,  said 
water  was  a  great  thing.  It  is  the  unan- 
imous opinion   of  the  '  Adlati '  that  water 


THE   STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  ^Q 

is  a  very  large  thing  indeed ;  and  not  a 
pleasant  bedfellow.  The  fever-and-ague 
has  made  its  appearance  in  camp  already; 
and  those  preserved  strawberries,  put  up 
by  the  '  United  Society  of  Shakers '  be- 
gin   to    bear    an    ominous    significance. 

"The  next  morning,  who  should  appear, 
careering  about  the  field,  but  Wamba,* 
mounted  on  a  fiery  horse  whose  paces 
he  was  exhibiting.  It  is  my  private  im- 
pression that  Wamba  is  made  of  wood  — 
head  and  all ;  and  having  been  wound 
up  to  go  as  an  infantry  corporal,  his 
machinery  cannot  be  altered  until  he  is 
made  an  infantry  spiritual  and  angelic. 
On    the    present   occasion    he    assumed,  in 

*  Wamba  was  an  old  regular,  on  duty  as  the  Gen- 
eral's orderly.  His  blue  uniform,  with  lighter  blue 
chevrons  and  stiff  leather  stock,  suggested  woad-dyeing 
and  serf  collar,  and  got  him  his  sobriquet. 


80  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

spite  of  tlie  interpolated  horse,  the  com- 
plete '  position  of  a  soldier :  head  erect, 
eyes  front,  hand  grasping  the  seam  of 
the  pantaloons,  palm  forward,  heels  mor^ 
or  less  apart,  feet  at  a  strong  divergei.t 
angle,'  &c.  The  noble  steed  himself  caught 
the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  fancied  himself 
in  the  ranks,  and  considered  Wamba 
an  Enfield,  which  it  was  his  business 
alternately  to  '  ground  '  and  '  shoulder  ' 
with  all  possible  speed.  To  complete  the 
picture.  General  Asboth  and  '  The  General ' 
stood  in  front  of  their  tents  witnessing 
the  display.  At  its  close.  Gen.  A.  said 
benevolently,  '  Ah,  my  dear,  I  see  you  are 
not  Cavalerist  !  '  and  General  Fremont 
laughed  more  heartily  than  I  have  ever 
seen  him  before:  —  at  which  Wamba  was 
overcome  with  delight,  and  interjected  a 
salute    between    two  bounds    of  his    horse. 


THE   STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  81 

Such  was  Camp  Lovejoy.  We  have 
played  upon  the  Colonel's  generosity  and 
innocence,  until  we  convinced  him  that  it 
was  '  the  correct  thing '  for  him  to  send 
round  wine  in  honor  of  the  naming" 
of  our  second  camp  after  him  —  whence 
the    claret    already    mentioned. 

"Alas  !  what  am  I  writino^  I  Who  knows 
hut  I  shall  be  'jugged'  for  'conduct 
unbecoming,'  &c.  &c.  The  colonels  and 
majors  and  captains  are  all  my  superior 
officers ;  and  hereafter  I  shall  not  even 
have  the  poor  consolation  of  seeing  how 
they  ride,  for  last  night  came  the  terri- 
ble order  that  the  Staff  shall  ride  two 
and  two,  according  to  rank.  This  puts 
a  half-dozen  of  captains  between  Jack 
and  me,  and  sets  me  back  among  the 
unknown.      Wretched    me  !     .     .     .      . 

"  The     insane     passion    for    riding    six 
6 


S2  THE  STORY  OF   THE  GUARD. 

abreast  in  narrow  or  muddy  roads,  which 
seems  to  seize  all  the  junior  members 
of  the  Staff,  has  led  to  this  new  arrange- 
ment, which  Jack  and  I,  I  believe,  were 
the  first  to  suggest,  although  it  results  in 
separating  us.  Hereafter,  each  man  is 
doomed  to  one  neighbor,  and  no  variety 
in  conversation.  The  list  is  made  out 
in  the  order ;  and  after  enum.erating  the 
larger  animals,  two  and  two,  as  Noah 
did,  closes  with  '  Lt.  R.,  &c.'  Now  wasn't 
it  cruel  to  make  me  ride  with,  '  &c.'  ]  Who 
the  fellow  is,  I  don't  know,  but  I  have  a 
horrid  intuition  that  it  is  the  man  with 
a  mule  !*  Would  you  believe  it]  Colonel 
Eaton  brought  this  document  of  doom 
to  our  tent,  last  night,  and  I  was  de- 
tailed to    go    from    tent  to    tent,  and  read 

*  A  surgeon's  assistant,  who  had  not  been  able  to  ob- 
ain  a  horse,  in  the  hurry  of  departure. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  83 

it  to  the  Staff!  '  O  torture  most  re- 
fined !'.... 

"There  is  a  report  here  that  the  enemy 
is  trying  to  get  away,  but  cannot  cross 
the  Osage  River.  This  is  jolly,  if  true, 
and  indicates  a  speedy  chance  of  battle. 
The  worst  of  it  is,  we  are  not  in  the 
advance,  and    don't    seem    likely    to    be. 

"The  General  looks  well,  and  I  think 
enjoys  himself  much  better  than  in  Ori- 
ental St.  Louis.  By  the  way,  I  hear 
that  mule  is  to  be  ordered  out  of  the 
Staff,  because  it  savors  of  '  Oriental 
Pomp.'  The  Queen  of  Sheba  and  the 
Khan  of  Tartary,  together  with  Shahs, 
Pashas,  Effendi  and  Howadji  innumerable, 
rode  or  ride  on  mules.  Mules  being, 
therefore,  Oriental,  let  their  tribe  be  con- 
fined   to    the    '  Eastern    Department !  ' 

"  But  'Adl.'  H.  desires  room  for  a  line 


84  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

of  postscript.  He  has  gone  to  town  in 
rain  and  rage ;  for  he  found,  on  calling 
for  his  gray,  that  the  stupid  groom  had 
fed  another  gray  horse  hy  mistake,  and 
his  had  had  nothins;'.  Jack  had  finished 
his  anathemas  for  the  day ;  but  I  went 
out  to  help  him,  and  we  issued  extra 
rations    in    honor    of    the    occasion."     .     . 


"Camp  Asboth,  llth  Oct.  1861. 

"Captain    Foote,  and  have 

arrived.     goes    down    to-night   and 

will    see    you    in    the    morning.      .     . 

"  I  don't  think  my  despatch  to  General 
Cameron,  requesting  McKinstry  to  be  left 
with  me,  reached  him.  Whether  de- 
tained by  ,    or    some  one  about  him, 

he  can  find  out.  General  Thomas,  con- 
trary   to    usage    and     regulation,    ordered 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  85 

McKiiistry  and  others  from  my  depart- 
ment, without  doing  it  through  me  — 
entirely  overlooking  and  slighting  me. 
It  is  a  discourtesy  and  military  offence. 
General  Cameron  ought   to   come  here  and 

see    the    army Officers 

were  also  detached  by  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  from  gun-boats,  and  not  done 
throuo^h    me 

"  I  have  placed  Captain  Foote  in  charge 
of  all  the  boats  belonging  to  the  flotilla. 
My  plan  is  New  Orleans  straight ;  — 
Foote  to  join  on  the  river  below.  I 
think  it  can  be  done  gloriously,  espe- 
cially if  secret  can  be  kept.  ...  It 
would  precipitate  the  war  forward  and 
end    it    soon    and    victoriously. 

"  Talk  freely  with  ,  Captain  Foote, 

and   .     All    are    true.     .     .     . 

"J.   C.   F." 


S6  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"Camp  Asboth, 
"Oct.  12,  9^  o'clock. 

" .  .  .  .  There  is  nothinor  to  be  said 
in  addition  to  what  I  wrote  yesterday,  be- 
cause everything  in  my  mind  is  at  a  stand- 
still, until  I  know  what  result  the  visit 
of  the  Secretary  leaves.  You  don't  seem 
to  feel  very  decided  as  to  what  course 
the  Secretary  may  take,  but  in  any  event 
don't  be  in  the  least  discouraged.  If 
we  go  on  from  here,  we  shall  do  well. 
If  interfered  with,  w  shall  do  well  in 
another  way,  but  I  shall  act  with  equal 
decision  in  either  case.  So  don't  feel  in 
the  least  dispirited ;  but  bear  in  mind 
all  the  time  that  General  Thomas  is  my 
enemy.  He  is  one  of  those  who  op- 
posed my  appointment,  and  I  am  told 
indulg-ed  in  some  of  the  abusive  and 
false     language,     which     a     certain     class 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  87 

about  Washington  had  habitually  permit- 
ted to  themselves  in  reference  to  me. 
As  I  told  you  he  has  conducted  him- 
self discourteously  to  me  in  his  com- 
munications in  reference  to  the  army.     .    . 

"J.  C.  F." 


"Tuesday  Morning,  15tli  Oct. 
"  Camp  Zagoxyi. 

".  .  .  .  You  need  not  be  alarmed 
at  my  movements  southward.  They  will 
be  well  considered,  and  you  must  just 
give    me  what   aid   you    can 

"  I  am  about  nine  miles  out  on  the  road 
to  Osage  River,  and  push  right  forward 
to-day.  Our  force  is  in  splendid  condi- 
tion. I  intend  to  unite  together  all  my 
scattered  forces,  and  make  my  army  such 
that  it  can  go  anywhere  —  that  is,  if  we 
are  not  interrupted,  and  of  that  I  suppose 


88  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

we    shall    learn    within    a    week.      Consult 

fully    and    freely    with    Mr.   .       Keep 

your  health  good,  and  don't  get  agitated. 
.  .  .  You  say  well  that  we  are  con- 
tending for  honor  and  honorably;  our  op- 
ponents for  base  ends  and  basely.  I  want 
this  little  note  to  go  to  you  freighted 
only  with  pleasant  thoughts,  a  harbinger 
of  success,  and  meetings  soon  to  come. 
One  of  our  little  white  butterflies  came 
flying  around  in  front  of  my  horse  as  I 
rode  along  with  the  Secretary  at  War  to 
the  review  at  Syracuse.  —  This  reminds 
me  that  I  have  not  yet  read  the  letters 
from  the  Mariposas ;  I  will  to-night.  .  . 
Thank  you  for  the  sabres  and  guns ;  send 
any  such  things  forward  as  best  you  can.* 

"J.  C.  F." 

*  Perhaps  I  should  explain,  that  the  frequent  reference 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  gQ 

of  official  work  to  my  care  came  not  merely  from  Mr. 
Fremont's  long  habit  of  referring  all  manner  of  work 
and  duties  to  me  as  acting  principal  in  his  absence,  but 
because  nearly  all  the  General's  reliable  officers  were 
with  him.  Of  those  remaining,  his  quartermaster  be- 
came ill  of  fever,  and  was  in  a  critically  dangerous  state 
from  the  time  of  the  army's  leaving.  The  adjutant, 
Captain  McKeever,  who  was  very  active  and  thorough 
in  his  attention  to  his  duties,  had  his  right  arm  disabled 
by  a  relapse  of  injuries  received  at  Bull  Run,  causintr 
several  times  so  much  fever  and  suffering  as  to  leave 
actually  no  other  head  than  myself;  for  Colonel  Fiala 
also  became  ill,  and  even  when  he  was  well,  General 
Curtis  would  not  reply  to  any  communication  from  him. 
Knowing  I  was  always  at  the  house,  and  that  anything 
requiring  attention  would  be  sure  to  receive  it,  night  or 
day,  the  General  wrote  to  me  for  what  was  needed  ;  and 
many  a  despatch  was  sent,  and  combination  made  at  the 
bedside  of  invalids  too  worn  to  sit  up.  Of  course  the 
regular  official  orders  came  also,  but  in  this  I  have  only 
quoted  from  private  and  personal  papers. 


VII. 

THE   BUILDING   OF   THE   BRIDGE. 

"  Warsaw,  Wednesday  Morning. 
".  .  .  We  are  all  well,  and  the 
army  in  good  spirits,  notwithstanding  the 
rain.  Nothing  can  stand  before  this  lit- 
tle army ;  and  if  not  interfered  with,  it  will 
do  some  good  work.  But  the  constant 
expectation  of  being  turned  off  from  our 
plans  by  the  Department,  annoys,  and  takes 
away  much  of  the  interest.  I  judge  that 
the  enemy  is  much  demoralized,  and  much 
of  his  force  will  leave  him,  if  we  get  nigh 

enough  to  have  any  effect 

"J.  C.  F." 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  Ql 

"  Camp  on  the  Banks  of  the  Osage, 
"  October  18,  Noon. 

"  I  crossed  the  river  this  morning,  and 
have  just  returned  to  this  side,  where  is 
my  own  camp.  All  of  Sigel's  that  is 
here  is  already  across.  We  have  just 
commenced  a  bridge,  which,  by  to-morrow 
night,  will  be  ready  for  the  passage  of  the 
divisions  as  they  come  up.  Meantime,  Si- 
gel's  and  Asboth's  will  be  over,  and  we 
shall  be  scouring  the  country  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  enemy.  Our  difficulty  con- 
sists absolutely  and  only  in  the  want  of 
transportation.  On  account  of  this  the 
other  divisions  are  collees  to  the  line  of 
the  railroad.  Ask  Captain  McKeever  to  do 
all  that  is  humanly  possible  to  get  wag- 
ons, mules,  harness,  and  drivers  sent  for- 
ward to  Tipton.  Meantime,  I  will  seize 
everything    of    the    kind    there    is    in    the 


92  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

country.  The  spirit  of  the  men  is  some- 
thing extraordinary ;  they  will  at  once 
overcome  anything  they  come  in  contact 
with.  But  we  must  get  our  army  togeth- 
er.     It  won't  do  to  risk  too  much. 

"  I  understand,  from  other  sources,  that  a 
contract  made  by  Captain  Haines,  for  the 
supply  of  cattle  to  this  army,  has  been 
annulled.  We  are  thus  thrown  on  our  own 
resources ;  but  this  does  not  at  all  annoy 
me.  If  it  is  intended  to  cripple  me,  it 
can't  be  done.  When  I  am  left  to  my 
own  resources  I  have  no  fears.  The 
transportation  business  troubles  me  the 
most,  because  it  keeps  back  the  other  parts 

of   the    army,   and    produces   delay.     

can  tell  you  if  this  is  done  purposely.    .    . 
"J.  C.  Fremont.'* 


THE  STORY   OF  THE   GUARD.  Cjg 

"  Banks  of  the  Osage, 

"  October  19,  8  a.  m. 

"  Held  back  by  want  of  transportation, 
I  have  not  been  able  to  get  the  army 
nigh  enough  to  the  enemy  to  strike  a 
blow,  and  so  I  lose  a  victory.  I  crossed 
the  river  yesterday  afternoon,  with  part  of 
the  Guard,  and  sent  them  forward  with 
some  of  Waring's  cavalry.  They  may  do 
a  little  something  to  put  a  white  mark  on 
the  day.  Hunter's,  Pope's,  and  McKin- 
stry's  divisions  are  still  alongside  the  rail- 
road, transportation  bound.  But  we  are 
not  losing  time.  Bridge-building,  and 
scouring  the  country,  gathering  in  teams 
and  provisions,  &c.,  all  advance  the  work ; 
and  the  moment  I  can  move  I  will  do  it 
with  effect. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  anything  about  War- 
ren's  cavalry]      I   do   not   send   many   or- 


94-  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

ders  to  St.  Louis,  because  I  do  not  feel 
that  they  have  force.  The  course  of  the 
administration  encouraged  all  manner  of 
disobedience  and  neglect  on  the  part  of 
the  officers  there ;  and  paymasters,  quar- 
termasters, and  all,  feel  that  my  orders 
may  be  disregarded  with  impunity.   ..." 


"  Camp  near  Warsaw, 
"  October  17,  1861. 

"  As  you  will  have  seen,  we  have  made 
quite  a  respectable  distance  in  the  pursuit, 
and  have  been  rewarded  here  by  rumors 
that  Price  is  only  thirty  to  fifty  miles 
ahead,  and  waiting  to  give  us  battle ;  — 
but  rumor  is  so  unreliable. 

"  Three  days  have  brought  us  from  Tip- 
ton, about  forty  miles,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered a  pretty  good  start  for  a  green  army. 
We   arrived   last   night,  though   not  quite 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  05 

in  the  town,  encamping  about  a  mile  north 
of  it.  While  awaiting"  the  baffgasfe-trains, 
the  General,  calling  for  some  '  young  offi- 
cers to  go  with  him,'  and  a  company  of 
the  Guard,  galloped  like  fun  through  mud 
and  water,  and  abysmal  roads,  to  the  high 
bluffs  of  the  Osage  River,  passing  through 
the  town  on  the  way.  Before  getting  to 
the  village,  we  met  General  Sigel,  with 
his  adjutant.  He  had  been  here  all  day, 
slowly  putting  his  brigade  across  on  one 
small  ferry-boat.  He  rode  with  us  through 
Warsaw,  and  we,  '  from  her  heights,  sur- 
veyed '  the  river  which  Price  had  to  run 
around  to  avoid  thrashing,  and  which  we 
are  about  to  cross  in  order  to  thrash  him 
after  all. 

•'  Having  seen  the  possibilities  of  crossing, 
we  rode  back  to  camp, — the  soldiers  of 
Sigel's  command  filling  the  air  with  cheers 


96  THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

and  welcoming  shouts  for  our  chief.  V^e 
had  a  pleasant  enough  night,  and  this 
morning  the  tents  were  struck,  and  we 
all  moved  over  to  the  heights  above  the 
river. 

"  While  camp  was  being  pitched,  we 
rode  with  the  General  to  the  ferry,  where 
he  remained  some  time  consulting  Cap- 
tain Pike,  the  engineer  who  is  to  put 
the  bridge  through.  '  Now,  Captain,* 
asked  the  General,  '  how  many  hours  do 
you  propose  to  use  in  bridging  this  river]' 
'  It  depends  upon  how  many  men  I  may 
have,  sir.  If  I  have  enough,  you  shall 
cross  by  two  o'clock  to-morrow.'  I  am 
afraid  the  entire  lack  of  tools  and  lumber 
wdll  put  the  Captain  out  in  his  calcula- 
tions, but  we  shall  see.  Pike  will  do 
his  best»  The  General  certainly  puts  men 
to  their  trumps.     .     .     . 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 


97 


"  Camp  near  Warsaw, 

"  October  19,  1861. 

" We    have    now   got 

well  to  work  upon  the  bridge.  R.  has 
been  doing  good  service  in  the  lumber 
department ;  the  north  side  material  being 
improvised  from  the  debris  of  log-houses 
and  barns,  sacrificed  for  the  occasion,  the 
south  side  cut  and  hauled  from  the  vir- 
gin forest.  I  had  been  variously  em- 
ployed all  the  morning,  writing  and  riding 
for  the  General ;  in  the  afternoon,  he  took 
part  of  the  Body-Guard  and  went  out  on 
a  little  reconnoissance  across  the  river. 
As  he  rode  off*  he  sent  me  down  to  help 
Captain  Pike.  'See  that  he  has  all  he 
wants  ;  let  there  be  no  hitch ;  —  see  that 
everything  moves, ^ 

"  So  down  I  went,  and  having  a  rov- 
ing commission,  became  a  sort  of  '  Jack- 
7 


98  THE   STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

at-all-trades,'  putting  in  wherever  it  seemed 
necessary,  impressing  teams  and  drivers, 
getting  tools,  ropes,  and  necessary  ar- 
ticles, directing  the  pioneers  in  the  woods 
where  and  what  to  cut,  hauling  the  tim- 
ber from  the  woods,  &c.,  &c.  Pike  with 
his  efficient  assistants,  Shepley  and  Kern, 
were  down  on  the  bank,  directing  the  busy 
workmen,  and  shaping  the  rough  hewn 
trestles,  measuring  and  cutting  stringer 
and  brace,  fixing  rope  and  chain  and  bolt, 
and  putting  through  the  more  important 
preparatory  work.  Lieutenant  Waring 
was  in  the  woods,  which  rang  with  the 
axes  of  his  pioneers,  and  the  shouts  of 
his  teamsters,  detachments  from  the  '  fancy 
Body-Guard,'  serving  extempore  in  both 
capacities.  And  Colonel  Shanks,  M.  C. 
and  A.  D.  C, —  the  indomitable,  indefatiga- 
ble, and  tremendous, — was  everywhere,  driv- 


THE    STORY  OF  THE   GUARD.  QQ 

ing,  cutting,  working  in  a  manner  wonderful 
to  behold.  Now  in  the  forest,  showing  the 
workmen  how  to  put  the  ox-chain  on  a  log 
and  'snake'  it  through  the  brush;  now 
knee-deep  in  the  river,  swearing  at  reluc- 
tant '  Dutchmen ' ;  now  driving  an  ox- 
team  along  the  dusty  road; — always  effi- 
ciently at  work,  helping  all,  interfering 
with  none.  This,  on  the  southern  bank. 
The  other  side  saw  Raymond  inexorably 
pulling  down  houses,  barns,  sheds,  stables, 
—  anything  that  could  furnish  the  proper 
length  and  size  of  timber  for  this  all-de- 
vouring bridge ;  impressed  teams  hauling 
the  materials  to  the  bank  ;  refractory 
mules  kicking  and  plunging  in  the  water 
while  taking  the  various  necessaries  to 
the  central  island  ;  quiet  groups  of  steady- 
handed  Germans  getting  the  logs  and 
planks  ready  to  be  put  together  in  shape ; 


100  THE   STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

in  short  it  was  as  thorough  a  specimen 
of  hearty,  earnest,  well-put  work  as  one 
could  wish  to  see. 

"  Meantime,  I  was  wandering'  about,  a 
kind  of  odd  wheel,  but  manasfins"  to  '  turn 
up '  in  the  right  place  with  such  fre- 
quency as  to  keep  me  from  being  too 
lazy.  Among  other  things,  tools  and 
spikes  were  needed.  What  easier  than  to 
gallop  over  to  the  town,  get  them  and 
send  them  back  in  some  unlucky  wagon 
which  should  chance  to  be  near '?  Well,  I 
have  seen  easier  things.  Armed  with  the 
Provost  Marshal's  pass,  I  had  to  go  into 
every  store,  question  and  cross-examine 
the  secesh  owner  who  *  didn't  care  to 
sell,'  and  '  didn't  know  what  he'd  got ;  ' 
root  and  ransack  in  every  corner,  trip 
and  stumble  through  every  cellar,  over 
barrels  and  kegs  innumerable;  and  finally, 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  JQl 

for  my  pains,  had  scraped  togetlier  a  few 
augers,  one  or  two  sledges,  half  a  dozen 
chisels,  and  —  no  more  !  Then  spikes 
were  needed.  Surely  spikes  are  common 
enough  in  a  frontier  town.  Vain  hope  ! 
They  must  be  created.  Clothed  with  ple- 
nary powers  by  the  General,  I  was  to  take 
any  forge  and  set  to  work  any  smith,  — 
for  The  Bridge  was  all-important. 

"  I  went  to  one  large  forge  with  four 
fires,  where  about  fifty  horses  were  wait- 
ing and  being  shod,  and  to  the  infinite 
disgust  of  the  various  regiments  whose 
horses  were  there,  to  the  surprise  of  all 
the  smiths,  and  with  some  explanation  to 
their  independent  Western  minds,  that  the 
General's  order  must  pass  over  all  others, 
I  '  seized  '  the  fires,  and  set  the  men  all 
at  hammering  out  my  spikes.  The  iron  I 
had   to  find  like    the    tools,   in    warehouse, 


102  THE  STORY  OF    THE   GUARD. 

cellar,  barn,  or  store,  or  wherever  it   was 
to   be  found. 

"  Thus,  between  forest,  river,  and  town, 
I  had  to  be  lively.  After  supper  I  went 
down  again,  and  saw  them  working  by 
moonlight  and  firelight.  That  was  a  pic- 
ture !  A  gleaming  fire  at  the  foot  of  the 
dark,  high,  wooded  bluff!  The  low,  sandy 
island,  far  off  and  indistinet  in  the  moon- 
light; the  rushing  river  between,  and  this 
wild,  solitary  scene,  made  more  weird  and 
even  more  solitary  by  the  busy  groups  of 
excited,  earnest  men.  The  shouting  of 
voices,  the  clangor  of  blows,  the  creaking 
of  ropes,  and  rattling  of  chains,  mingled 
with  the  noise  of  the  river,  and  occasion- 
ally when  the  grotesque,  w^ide-spreading 
form  of  one  of  the  huge  trestles  had  been 
successfully  lowered  into  the  swift  black- 
ness of  the  water,  the  long,  loud  shout  of 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  108 

triumph  drowned  all  else.  But  you  will 
weary  of  all  this  detail,  and  I  must  get 
sleep  for  to-morrow's  work.      .      .     . 


"Banks  of  the  Osage, 
"  Oct.  19,  1861,  late  in  the  afternoon. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  pleasant  letters  of 
encouragement,  especially  for  that  one 
which  points  to  the  future  crowning  re- 
sult, if  God  wills  it  so.  And  as  events 
seem  to  have  pointed  out  the  way,  I  will 
keep  my  eyes  steadily  fixed  in  that  direc- 
tion until  the  flag  which  floats  above  our 
army  glows  in  the  "  insufferable  light." 

"  I  put  this  letter  of  yours  with  Mr. 's, 

which  reflects  the  color  of  my  mind.  They 
will  keep  my  mind  alive  and  vigilant  and 
true  to  the  great  end  which  I  shall  now 
always  see  before  me. 


104"  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"  I  was  made  happy  by  finding  Mr. 

and  Mr. as  I  rode  into  camp  to-day. 

They  were  like  home  faces  and  trusty 
friends,  full  of  pleasure  to  see^  after 
the  close  contest  with  enemies  which  I 
have  been  waging.  I  have  arranged  with 
them  to  hurry  up  my  supplies  and  trans- 
portation the  best  they  can,  and  I  am  sure 
they  will  do  all  that  under  the  circum- 
stances is  humanly  possible,  and  with  their 
aid  I  shall  be  able  to  do  what  I  wish.  I 
have  from  Captain  Foote  himself,  and  from 
them,  better  hopes  for  his  cooperation  than 
you  were  able  to  give  in  your  letter  of 
Tuesday  evening.  Don't  fear  ;  if  this 
thing  is  destined  to  be  done,  all  will  go 
right  with  us  here.  I  shall  keep  my  com- 
munications open,  and  will  be  able  to  give 
you  intelligence  of  my  movements,  and  at 
the  same  time,  to  hear  from  you,  and  keep 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  IQJ 

informed  of  the  enemy's  movements  on  the 
Mississippi.  I  wrote  to-day  to  General 
Smith.  The  guns  destined  for  Price  will 
never  reach  liim,  if  I  get  my  transportation 
in  time.  General  Prentiss  I  sliall  be  glad 
to  see.  I  will  send  him  directions  when 
I  get  a  little  farther  along.  Day  by  day  I 
will  send  you  some  little  slip  of  what  I 
want  done.  I  begin  to  feel  stronger.  It 
pleases  me  to  see  how  kindly  disposed  the 
people  are  to  me,  and  how  much  trust 
they  place  in  me.  I  did  not  know,  until 
I  received  your  letters  to-day,  what  was 
the  cause  of  the  reinforcements  being  sent 
to  Ironton.  Tell  Captain  McKeever  that 
his  promptitude  gives  me  pleasure.  His 
dispositions  were  excellent,  and  the  effect 
may  reach  farther  than  shows  at  first; 
still,  as  soon  as  the  regiments  can  be 
spared    and    equipped   with    transportation, 


106  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

I  want  them  hurried  up  in  this  direction, 
for  the  reason  that,  in  certain  contingen- 
cies, we  should  be  beyond  reach  of  rein- 
forcements, and  obhged  to  rely  on  our- 
selves alone. 

"  Zagonyi  got  no  action,  but  brought 
back  some  useful  spoils,  —  horses,  wagons, 

cattle,  provisions,  &c 

"J.  C.  R" 

(zagonyi  speaking.) 

"  On  the  18th  of  October  about  fifty  men, 
personally  with  the  General,  crossed  the 
Osage  to  have  a  little  observation  of  the 
enemy  on  the  other  side.  The  General 
found  out,  through  talking  with  citizens, 
that  a  body  of  men  were  starting  to  the 
rebel  army,  about  twenty-two  miles  from 
Warsaw,  on  the  Osceola  road,  south.  He 
at  once  ordered  me  to  proceed  in  the  night 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  lO^ 

to  find  out  if  they  are  there.  We  arrived 
at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  night,  hut  was  too 
late  ;  they  left  three  days  before,  but  found 
horses,  mules,  cattle,  and  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  bushels  of  wheat,  which 
we  captured  and  handed  over  for  General 
Siffel's  briorade  use.  We  left  camp  about 
four  or  five  in  the  evening,  arrived  back 
next  day  about  eleven — forty-five  miles  — 
without  a  bite  of  bread  or  meat,  but  a  little 
mush  made  by  ourselves  at  one  in  the  night 
out  of  the  captured  corn  flour  ;  we  found 
some  salt  and  a  little  molasses, — not  I,  but 
the  others,  did  like  and  eat  it.  The  horses 
had  everything.  But  we  did  not  have  a 
blanket  with  us.  It  was  so  that  we  went 
out  only  to  see  the  country,  but  finding 
on  our  way  about  these  rebels  so  near, 
we  went  after  them  without  turning  back 
to    make    any    preparation.      The    General 


108  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

sent  for  a  company  of  Fremont  Hussars 
to  accompany  us  ;  he  did  not  leave  us  until 
they  came  up." 


"  Banks  of  Osage, 
"Oct.  20,  1861  —  8  A.  M. 

"  Mr. and  Mr. are  harnessing 

up  for  their  return.  T  have  had  much 
pleasure  in  their  visits  and  the  favorable 
impressions  they  have  in  regard  to  our 
present  struggle.  But  the  aspect  I  sup- 
pose will  change  from  day  to  day,  depend- 
ent upon  what  we  may  do  in  the  field, 
and  this  depends  upon  our  supplies.  The 
army  in  Kentucky,  and  this  one  in  the 
field  should,  tvWiout  loss  of  an  hou)\  be 
strongly  and  efficiently  reinforced.  In  this 
way  the  war  can  be  terminated  this  winter ; 
and  it  is  treason  to  the  country  to  put  in 
peril  the  great  stake  at  issue  for  the  pur- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  109 

pose  of  gratifying  private  vengeance  against 
an  individual.  Forward  movements  now, 
and  no  more  trifling  with  the  war  and  with 
the  blood  and  treasure  of  the  country.  The 
mercantile  interest  of  the  nation  demands 
peace,  and  it  may  be  had  by  spring. 

"  Say  to  Colonel  Koerner  that  I  have  not 
a  moment  to  write  this  morning.  I  will 
write  to  him.  Meantime,  thank  him  very 
warmly  for  his  exertions  in  Illinois,  and  for 
their  prompt  result ;  — two  regiments  make 
a  great  acquisition  just  now.  Ask  him  to 
continue  for  the  present  to  work  upon  this 
project,  and  I  will  give  him  my  ideas  later. 
Thank  him,  too,  for  his  despatch  to  the 
President  respecting  the  pay  of  the  officers. 
What  reason  can  there  be  for  not  paying 
them  except  to  discredit  me '?  The  Pres- 
ident said  he  would  confirm  my  appoint- 
ments,   and    they   were   made   accordingly; 


110  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

what  then  is  the  meanins:  of  the  order  not 

to  pay  them  1     is  here.     I  will  write 

you  his  intelligence  if  I  have  time. 

"  What  I    have  just  learned  from  

satisfies  me  that  we  can  easily  carry  out 
what  I  have  told  you  above,  and  depend 
on  it  if  I  am  not  interrupted,  the  victory 
is  ours,  thoroughly  and  entirely.  Send 
me  transportation,  and  I  will  go  ahead 
"  like  a  house  on   fire."     .... 

"  Send  me  forward  all  the  regiments  pos- 
sible. Arm  them  with  the  Austrian  mus- 
ket as  altered  by  Greenwood.  We  are 
receiving  them  at  the  arsenal  at  the  rate 
of  five  hundred  a  day.  In  my  judgment 
the  enemy  is  greatly  disconcerted  by  the 
taking  of  Paducah,  and  our  movements 
here  and  the  lower  country.  New  Madrid 
and  Memphis  are  open  to  us.  Send  the 
transportation,  and  send  the  regiments.  .  .  . 

"J.  C.  F." 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  HI 

"  Warsaw, 

"Oct.  22,  1861. 

"  .  .  Our  army  is  sadly  in  want  of  trans- 
portation. The  Department  has  been  so 
crippled  that  the  necessary  wagons  and 
teams  could  not  be  furnished ;  and  now 
we  are  on  the  verge  of  starvation  —  i.  e,^ 
living  on  beef  and  salt  —  while  plenty  of 
commissary  stores  are  at  Tipton,  fifty-five 
miles  from  here.  In  order  to  get  more 
wagons,  the  baggage  of  the  army  is  to  be 
reduced  to  the  ultimate  minimum.  The 
General  sets  the  example,  sending  back 
his  mess-chest  and  trunk.  We  shall  fol- 
low his  example,  and  leave  behind  our  camp 
beds,  and  all  superfluous  baggage.  It's 
precious  little  I  have  to  spare  ;  but  I  think 
I  can  bid  a  short  farewell  to  clean  linen, 
and  reduce  my  table-equipage  to  the  beef- 
pan    and    the    salt-box.     My  dress-uniform 


112  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

must  go,  if  I  have  to  carry  it  under  my 
arm ;  for  we  are  bound  to  have  a  trium- 
phal entry  and  a  Thanksgiving-Dinner  at 
Memphis,  to  be  followed  up  by  a  Christmas 
at  New  Orleans.  Government  must  also 
furnish  transportation  for  my  meerschaum. 
It  is  coloring  successfully.  I  shall  make 
my  first  charge  with  it  between  my  teeth 
—  breathino;'  fire  and  smoke.  The  whole 
army  has  been  rejoiced  by  the  discovery 
at  this  place  of  a  large  quantity  of  salt 
and  tobacco  —  especially  the  latter.  One 
plug  has  been  issued  to  each  man,  to 
supply  the  lack  of  things  to  eat ;  and  the 
gallant  host  sends  up  but  one  voice  : 
"  Give  us  the  luxuries  of  life,  and  we'll 
do  without  its  necessaries."  And  the  lux- 
ury we  most  desire  can  be  had  without 
money,  but  not  without  Price. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  US 

"Warsaw,  Mo., 

"Oct.  22,  1861. 

" Ros  and  I  have  been  for  the  last 

three  days  very  busy  helping-  Captain  Pike 
with  his  brido;-e.  Ros  being-  detailed  to  the 
duty  one  day  ahead  of  me,  had  charge  of 
the  department  of  supplying  lumber  for  the 
north  side  of  the  l)ridge,  and  he  put  it 
throug-h  well.  The  General  sent  me  to 
keep  a  general  look-out,  and  see  that 
there  was  no  hitch,  that  everything  went 
smoothly. 

"  Major  Frank  White  is  just  in,  having 
made  a  detour  from  Georgetown,  and  with 
his  one  hundred  and  eighty  men  surprised 
and  driven  out  the  five  hundred  troops  who 
were  holding  Lexington  for  the  rebels,  re- 
leased the  prisoners,  sent  them  down  the 
river,  remained  in  possession  twenty-four 
hours    and    more,    and   escaping    by   night 


114  THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

through  the  cordon  which  had  surrounded 
him,  marched  down  to  us  in  a  httle  over 
three  days.  He  made  a  forced  march  of 
sixty  miles  from  Georgetown  to  Lexington 
between  sunset  and  sunrise,  and  thus  sur- 
prised the  rebels.  We  are  proud  of  our 
messmate  and  with  good  reason,  ne^t 
ce  ims  ?  He  captured  Jackson's  Secession 
State  flag,  which  he  has  given  to  me. 
To-morrow  he  is  off  and  away  to  the 
van. 

«H." 


VIII. 

OVER  THE  niLLS   AND  FAR  AWAY. 

"  Headquarters  Western  Department, 
"  October  23. 
"  Camp  on  road  three  miles  beyond  Osage  River. 

"  I  MADE  but  a  short  camp  yesterday 
evening",  having  been  delayed  by  the  number- 
less detentions  which  necessarily  surround 
myself.  So  many  inexperienced  officers, 
comins"  to  me  for  the  merest  trifles,  frit- 
ters  away  much  of  my  time.  Our  bridge 
will  not  be  finished  until  noon  to-day,  and 
Asboth's  division  will  consequently  be  de- 
layed in  its  advance;  but  it  will  probably 
get  across  to-day,  and  meanwhile  Sigel  is 
going  ahead.  Tell  Captain  Foote  to  push 
on  his  preparations ;  it  will  not  be  long 
before  I  send  his  orders   to  him 

"  To-day  is  bright  and  pleasant.     When 


116  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

the  army  leaves  this  it  will  march  vigor- 
ously. We  have  already  forced  the  enemy 
clear  of  nearly  all  the  State,  and  our  move- 
ment will  effectually  free  the  State  of  him 
for  the  winter.  It  had  heen  his  intention 
to  overrun  all  North  Missouri  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  go  into  Iowa.  When  I  left 
St.  Louis  a  large  detachment  of  his  force 
had  already  crossed  the  Missouri  (^vide 
Sturgis's  and  Prentiss's  despatches.)  My 
movement  towards  Georgetown  drew  him 
immediately  back  to  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  and  the  forward  movement  of  my 
forces  put  him  into  a  retreat  which  he  is 
still  prosecuting.  War  consists  not  only 
in  battles,  but  in  well-considered  move- 
ments w^hich  bring  the  same  results.  We 
have  made  many  movements  of  this  kind 
for  which  no  credit  has  ever  been  given. 

"J.  C.  F." 


THE  STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  II7 

"  Camp  White,  near  Lindley's  Creek, 

"  October  24. 

"  I  liave  just  had  the  triumphant  satisfac- 
tion to  read  your  note,  enclosing  the  de- 
spatch from  Col.  Carlin.  God  and  events 
are  favoring  us  in  the  great  work.  All 
aloncr  our  line  the  "  insufferahle  hght  "  be- 
gins  to  sliine.     I  am  so  sorry  for  him ;  * 

*  Col.  Baker,  on  his  way  from  Oregon  to  the  Senate, 
made  in  San  Francisco  a  farewell  address.    It  was  in 
October,  and  he  was  urging  the  people  to  united  action 
in  the  coming  Presidential  election.     Suddenly  stopping 
himself,  he  asked  why  he  wasted  time  in  urging  to  efforts 
for  a  victory  already  won;  — that  the  true  subject  to 
consider  was  the  use  to  make  of  that  victory ;  —  he  gave 
them  a  rapid  resume  of  the  results  of  the  Southern  policy 
—  its  remorseless,  unscrupulous  manner  of  persecuting, 
even  to  death,  men  who  were  its  powerful  and  success- 
ful opposers.     Latest  was  his  "  murdered  friend  Broder- 
ick"  (as  Mr.  Broderick  himself  said,  "Killed  because  I 
opposed  the  extension  of  slavery  and  a  corrupt  adminis- 
tration ").     And  then  came  one  of  those  perfectly  beauti- 
tlful  and  artistic  passages  which  gave  Colonel  Baker  his 


118  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUAUD. 

—  the  way,  after  long  waiting,  was  just 
opening.  Make  my  warmest  acknowledg- 
ments to  Captain  McKeever,  and  tell  him 
to  send  them  to  Colonel  Carlin  and  his  com- 
mand. I  will  write  from  next  camp. 
Washington  now  ought  to  be  silent.  We 
were  just  starting.  I  sent  the  despatch 
to  the  sharpshooters  (Major  Holman),  and 
their  answ^ering  shout  just  now  comes  to 
me.  I  send  it  also  to  Zagonyi  (getting 
ready  to  start  on  the  road  below  me). 
Major  White  made  a  bold  and  handsome 
dash  into  Lexing-ton.  I  will  send  his  re- 
port  from  next  camp.  We  are  six  miles 
north    of    Quincy ;   Sigel    ahead,     Asboth 

deserved  fame  as  an  orator  —  closing  -with  a  picture  ot 
Liberty  hunted,  imprisoned,  bound  to  the  stake,  her  very- 
ashes  scattered  to  the  winds.  "  I  looked  again,  and  I  be- 
held her,  throned  on  high,  her  garments  white  and  shin- 
ing, and  in  her  strong  right  hand  the  sword  of  Freedom, 
red  with  '  insufferable  lightJ  " 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  llQ 

next  behind.  I  have  a  good  letter  from 
General  McKinstry.  He  is  pressing  for- 
ward;  his  advance  will  be  in  \Yarsaw  to- 
day  Every  way  we  are  doing  well.  .  . 
^  "  J.  C.  F." 


«Lx  THE  Field,  near  Humaxsville, 

»  October  25,  1861. 

cc.     .     .     I   came  on  this  morning  with 
a    few    of    the    Guard,    Holman's    sharp- 
shooters, and  the  Benton  Cadets;  and,  for 
the   time,    my   headquarters    constitute   the 
extreme   advance  of  the  army.      Gen.  Si- 
gel's  cavalry  advance  has  just  passed,  and 
his  division  will  be  encamped  to-night  four 
miles  ahead  of  me.     Gen.  Asboth's  division 
is  on  the  march,  and  will  encamp  to-night 
seven   miles  in  my  rear,  on  an  open  prai- 
rie country,  around  which  a  wooded  creek 
sweeps.      This  would  afford   room  for   an 


1£0  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

army  of  forty  thousand  to  encamp,  and 
here  perhaps  the  divisions  which  are  be- 
hind,—  Hunter's,  Pope's,  and  McKinstry's, 
— \Yill  concentrate.  General  McKinstry  is 
doing  his  best  to  get  forward,  and  so,  I 
suppose,  are  all  now. 

'•  I  was  encamped  on  a  farm-ground,  only 
seven  miles  in  the  rear,  last  night,  at  a 
very  pretty  place.  From  there  I  sent  for- 
ward Zagonyi  with  nearly  all  the  Guards, 
together  with  Major  White's  command,  all 
under  the  command  of  Zagonyi.  They 
left  at  night  on  an  expedition,  of  which 
I  will  send  you  results  when  I  hear. 

^'  Generally,  I  think  we  are  doing  well. 
Our  forward  march  here  has  been  con- 
ducted with  all  the  rapidity  possible,  and 
we  have  scoured  the  country  broadly  as 
we  advanced ;  and,  in  my  judgment,  our 
whole    movement    can    be    characterized    as 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  1^1 

very  successful.  Joiued  to  the  success  at 
Ironton, — Missouri,  it  seems  to  me,  stands 
out  in  vi<2forous '  relief. 

"  We  are  anxious  to  know  how  affairs 
progress  around  the  Potomac.  The  slip 
you  sent  me  announcing  the  death  of  Col- 
onel Baker,  had  not  the  result  of  the  en- 
gagement at  Poolesville 

'•  To-morrow  we  expect  a  mail  through 
from  St.  Louis 

"  In  reply  to  Kcerner's  telegram  to  the 
President,  ahout  the  pay  of  officers  ap- 
pointed hy  me,  I  notice  that  the  Assistant 
Secretary  of  War  calls  these  appoint- 
ments '  these  irregidarities^'  and  says  they 
will  be  corrected  at  the  earliest  moment. 
They  were  not  irregularities,  as  we  know. 
They  were  authorized  by  the  President, 
and,  therefore,  strictly  regular.  But  he 
may   rest   assured    that    the    time    for  cor- 


12£  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

rectlon   will    certainly  come.     But    I   don't 
think  much  of  them    now,   and    they  have 

lost  the  power  to  sting 

"  Charley  is  well ;  he  is  all  right  now.* 
He  messes  with  me,  and  sleeps  in  my  am- 
bulance (the  chariot  and  four),  and,  with 
a  bufflilo  robe  and  two  blankets,  has  the 
most  comfortable  kind  of  quarters. 

"J.  C.  R" 

*  He  Lad  been  kicked  by  a  horse.  Charley  was  my 
oldest  boy,  —  only  ten  years  old  ;  but  he  quoted  "  Casa- 
bianca"  as  a  precedent,  and  carried  his  point  of  going 
■with  his  father.  Major  Zagonyi  had  been  good  enough 
to  let  him  drill  with  the  Guard,  and  although,  of  course, 
only  an  "  honorary  member,"  he  wore  the  uniform  and 
did  some  of  the  duties  of  a  sergeant.  "When  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  reviewed  the  troops  at  Syracuse,  Charley 
went  through  the  review  with  great  credit  to  his  training. 
It  was  no  small  test  to  go  successfully  through  a  real  re- 
view as  part  of  several  thousand  cavalry. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  123 

"  In  the  Field  near  Humansville, 
"  October  25,—  7^  p.  M. 

«  I  shall  have  news  of  a  little  action  to 
give    you   hy    next   express.       I    sent    for- 
ward  Zagonyi   to   strike   a  blow  yesterday 
evening.      I  just   received  a  despatch  from 
him,    informing    me    that    the    enemy   has 
been     reenforced    at     the    particular    point 
very   considerably;    still,  he   goes   on,   and 
asks    for    reenforcements    to   be    sent.     He 
was  but  eight  miles  from  the  enemy  when 
he   wrote    to    me,    at  half-past  eleven  this 
morning;    it  is  now  eight  (evening).     He 
went  right   on,   and,  I   am   afraid,  will  be 
rash.      I    sent   immediately    forward    eight 
hundred  cavalry  and  a  section  of  artillery. 
By  next  express  I  will  inform  you.     .     . 

"  J.  C.  F." 


124<  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

(ZAGONYI    SPEAKING.) 

"  Just  as  we  arrived  in  the  camp,  Yost's 
Station,  October  24<,  I  heard  from  some 
scouts  that  there  were  three  or  four  hun- 
dred rebels  in  Springfield.  I  at  once 
reported  myself  at  the  General's  tent, 
and  asked  for  permission  to  go  for- 
ward. The  General  did  not  want  to  grant 
it  directly ;  he  promised  me  that  after  an- 
other day's  march  will  let  me.  He  con- 
sidered it  too  far  to  go  from  that  place. 
I  retired,  but  in  half  an  hour  reported  my- 
self again,  begging  for  permission,  trying 
to  make  the  General  believe  that  if  he 
don't  let  me  go  they  will  run  away  from 
our  approach ;  remarking,  with  respect, 
that  if  he  don't  let  me  go,  next  morning 
he  won't  find  me  in  the  camp  —  that  I 
will  run  away  in  the  night.  At  last  he 
gave   his  permission,  if  I   take  some  addi- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  125 

tional  help.  I  told  that  plenty,  enough,  my 
own  command  ;  but  obeyed  the  orders,  that 
it  shall  not  be  countermanded.  We  started 
at  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Before 
starting,  I  intended  to  leave  one  officer  in 
command  with  the  remaining  of  my  com- 
mand. It  was  a  difficult  work  to  select  one. 
Trusting  in  one's  quiet  nature,  Lieut.  Ken- 
nedy, I  gave  him  the  orders  to  remain 
behind  in  command.  With  tears  in  his 
eyes  begged  me  not  to  leave  him  be- 
hind ;  he  would  consider  that  I  did  not 
put  trust  in  him  to  go  into  the  battle  if 
I  did  not  let  him  go  along.  But  in  the 
same  time  obeyed  the  orders.  Half  an 
hour  later  reported  myself  to  the  General 
before  starting,  and  asked  his  permission 
not  to  leave  my  officer  behind  —  none  of 
them  is  willingr-  to  remain.  The  General 
gav^e  his  hearty  consent,  and  congratulated 


126  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

my  officers  and  men  that  they  are  so  will- 
ing to  see  the  enemy. 

"  It  was  done  quietly,  so  that  the  enemy 
should  not  hear  of  it ;  but  the  men  were 
very  much  rejoiced  that  the  long  prom- 
ised time  came. 

"  It  was  a  cold  night ;  they  shivered, 
poor  fellows,  and  it  was  a  little  bit  of 
rain  on  us  during  the  night  —  there  was 
not  an  overcoat  in  the  Guard ;  but  we 
made  twenty-five  miles  from  nine  till  five, 
A.  M.  From  five  till  half-past  six  we 
took  a  little  rest,  having  a  little  cold 
meat  in  our  haversack.  For  seven  daj^s 
we  had  had  nothing  but  meat,  without 
salt ;  but  still  knowing  we  could  do  no 
better,  there  was  no  complaint.  My  scout 
found  me  a  secession  house,  where  w^e  had 
plenty  of  sheaf-oats  and  hay."  (I  sug- 
gested they  also  could  have  had  something 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  l^^ 

to  eat  —  '•  Was  no  time  in  a  small  family 
to  bake  bread  "  —  what  there  was  they 
did  get,  but  it  was  of  no  value.) 

"  Started  from  there,  and  arrived  at  half- 
past  eleven  —  eight  miles  from  Spring- 
field —  seventeen  miles.  Here  we  found 
out  that  the  enemy  is  eighteen  or  nine- 
teen hundred  strong.  From  this  place  I 
wrote  despatch  to  General  Fremont  and 
General  Sigel." 

(Among  other  "  asides,"  I  preserved  the 
following,  as  exemplifying  his  inability  to 
see  what  constituted  "  rashness.") 

"  They  call  it  a  '  rash  act.'  How  is  it 
possible  to  say  it  so  ]  From  half-past  eleven 
till  half-past  four  we  knew  we  were  to  meet 
nineteen  hundred  men  (but  in  reality  twen- 
ty-two hundred),  was  time  enough  to  recon- 
sider and  cool  down  every  rashness.  Blood 
cools  in  five  hours.  It  is  so.  Very  nat- 
urally it  could    not  be  ' rashness'  " 


1£8         the  stoky  of  the  guard. 
(copy  from  original  in  pencil.) 

"12  o'clock,  A.  M.,  8  miles  from 

Springfield,  October  25,  18G1. 

"  General  :  — 

^'  The  information  on  which  I  can  rely  is, 
that  Vednesday  evening  fifteen  hundred 
men  came  in  Springfield,  —  and  that  at 
present  there  is  not  less  than  eighteen  or 
nineteen  hundred  men.  —  I  march  forward 
and  will  try  what  I  can  do  —  in  the  same 
time  I  would  be  thankful  if  some  reinforce- 
ment could  come  after  me.  Should  I  be 
successful  I  need  them  to  hold  the  place, 
should  I  be  defeated  to  have  some  troops 
to  fall  back  with  my  w^orn-out  command. 
"  I  wdll  report  shortly  again. 
"  With  high  respect, 

"  Chs.  Zagonyi, 
"  Major  Comm,  Body  Guard, 
"  To  Maj.-Gen.  J.  C.  Fremont, 

^^Comm,  West  DepV 


the  story  of  the  guard.         12q 

(copy.) 
"Headquarters  Western  Department, 

"  October  25,  —  7^  p.  m. 

"  Your  despatch  is  received.  I  send  to 
you  Colonel  Carr  with  strong  force  of  cav- 
alry and  some  artillery.  I  will  send  more 
if  you  need  it.  Let  me  know  immedi- 
ately. 

(Signed)  "  J.  C.  Fremont, 

^' Maj\-Gen.  Coin. 
"  To  Maj.  Zagonyi, 
"  Commanding  Expedition  to  Springfield" 


(copy.) 

"  Headquarters  of  the  3d  Div.  D.  of  the  W. 
"Camp  10  miles  from  Bolivar,  Oct.  25,  1861. 

"  To  Major  Zagonyi,  near  Springfield  :  — 
"  If  there  are  eighteen  hundred  or  nine- 
teen hundred   men   at  Springfield  with  the 
intention   to   resist    you,   I   advise   you   not 


180  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

to  make  an  attack  against  the  town,  but 
to  watch  the  enemy  and  attack  him  when 
he  leaves  the  town,  which  he  will  do,  as 
soon  as  we  approach  Springfield. 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  the  company  or 
two  of  cavalry  now  under  my  command 
will  be  of  great  use  to  you,  as  they  are 
not  well  prepared  and  have  no  sabres,  but 
I  will  advance  them  nevertheless  as  soon 
as  possible,  to  join  you  and  to  give  you 
assistance  in  case  you  should  be  repulsed. 

"  The  most  necessary  thing  and  your  ob- 
ject should  be,  to  send  good  and  reliable 
information  to  us  and  to  attack  the  enemy 
only  in  case  you  find  him  in  a  condition 
or  in  a  position  where  you  can  with  great 
probability  defeat  him  instead  of  being 
defeated. 

"  Two  hundred  men  like  yours  can  do 
wonders  ;    but  to  attack  a  town  with  cav- 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  131 

airy  only,  when  the  enemy  is  prepared  to 
receive  them,  is  always  a  very  critical 
thing. 

"  I   send   to   General   Fremont   and  will 
wait  for  his  orders. 

"  Yours  Respectfully, 
(Signed)  "  F.  Sigel, 

"  Act.  Major-Gen'l  com'd'g  Sd  Div. 
'^N  B. — The  troops  under  my  command 
cannot  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  Spring- 
field before  two  days,  except  the  cavalry, 
which  can  move  quicker.  Send  me  news 
as  quickly  as   possible." 


(copy.) 
"  By  Telegraph  from  Kolla, 

"  29th,  1861. 

"  To  Captain  McKeever  :  — 

"  Ambulances  just  arrived  from  Spring- 


132  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

field.  Left  Thursday  night.  Colonel  Taylor 
with  all  his  force  left  Springfield  Friday, 
18th  inst.  Colonel  Frazier  with  one  thou- 
sand men  came  into  Springfield  Friday  the 
25th,  He  is  after  three  hundred  sacks 
of  salt  taken  from  McClurg.  Is  pushing 
everything  and  ready  to  leave  any  moment. 

Reports   Price  at  (telegraph   blunder 

over  name)  Newton  County ;  reports  all 
rebels  leaving  for  Arkansas  ;  also  reports 
Generals  Fremont  and  Sigel  at  Bolivar. 

"  This  despatch  gives  the  rebel  force  un- 
der Colonel  Taylor  and  Colonel  Frazier. 

"G.  W.  Dodge, 
"  Col.  Comm'd'g  Post  at  Rolla." 


IX. 

SPRINGFIELD. 
(Z  AGONY  I.) 

"  After  a  brief  stay  we  marched  very 
slowly  to  give  time  to  my  scout  to  bring 
me  the  best  information  from  Springfield, 
which  he  did  about  one  o'clock  that  the 
rebels  hardly  will  face  me,  but  will  run. 
To  meet  them  sure  I  left  the  Bolivar  road, 
crossed  over  to  the  Osceola  road,  and  from 
there  to  the  Mount  Vernon.  In  case 
they  should  retreat,  to  be  before  them. 
(Major  White's  command  with  me  all  this 
time.  I  left  the  big  road  at  two  and  one- 
half  hours.  He  should  have  been  at  most 
at    twelve    hours    with    me.*) 

*  Some  misunderstanding  of  orders   separated  the 


184<     THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"About  four  o'clock  I  arrived  on  the  high- 
est point  on  the  Ozark  mountains.  Not  see- 
ing any  sign  of  the  enemy,  I  halted  my  com- 
mand, made  them  known  that  the  enemy 
instead  of  four  hundred  is  nineteen  hundred. 
But  I  promised  them  victory  if  they  will  be 
what  I  thought  and  expected  them  to  be. 
If  any  of  them  too  much  fatigued  from 
the  fifty-six  miles,  or  sick,  or  unwell,  to 
step  forward ;  but  nobody  was  worn  out. 
(Instead  of  worn  out,  it  is  true  that  every 
eye  was  a  fist  big.)  I  made  them  known 
that  this  day  I  want  to  fight  the  first  and 
the  last  hard  battle,  so  that  if  they  meet 
us  again  they  shall  know  with  who  they 
have  to  do  and  remember  the  Body-Guard. 
And  ordered  quick  march. 

commands  before  the  Charge,  —  although,  unknown  to 
the  Guard,  the  Prairie  Scouts  did  brave  and  efficient 
fighting  on  a  distant  part  of  the  field. 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  135 

"  Besides,  I  tell  them  whatever  we  meet, 
to  keep  together  and  look  after  me ;  would 
I  fall,  not  to  give  up,  but  to  avenge  mine 
death.  To  leave  every  ceremonious  cuts 
away  in  the  battle-field  and  use  only  right 
cut  and  thrust.  Being  young,  I  thought 
they  might  be  confused  in  the  different  cuts, 
and  the  Hungarian  hussars  say,  "  Never 
defend  yourselves,  —  better  make  your  en- 
emy defend  himself  and  you  go  in."  I 
just  mention  them  that  you  know  very 
well  that  I  promised  you  that  I  will  lead 
you  shortly  to  show  that  we  are  not  a 
fancy  and  only  guard-doing-duty  soldiers, 
but  fighting  men." 


"  My  despatch  meant  what  I  will  do.  In 
the  hour  I  get  the  news  my  mind  was  set- 
tled.    I  say,  Thank  God,  if  I  am  to  fight, 


136  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

it  is  not  four  hundred !    but  nineteen  hun- 
dred! 

"  I  halt  my  men  again  and  say,  Soldiers  ! 
When  I  was  to  recruit  you,  I  told  you  you 
was  not  parade  soldiers,  but  for  war.  The 
enemy  is  more  than  we.  The  enemy  is 
two  thousand  and  we  are  but  one  hundred 
and  fifty.  It  is  possible  no  man  will 
come  back.  No  man  will  go  that  thinks 
the  enemy  too  many.  He  can  ride  back. 
(I  see  by  the  glimpsing  of  their  eye  they 
was  mad  to  be  chanced  a  coward.) 

"  The  Guard  that  follow  me  \\ill  take  for 
battle-cry,   '  Fremont   and    the    Union    and 

CHARGE  ! ' 

'  O  the  -wild  charge  they  made  ! ' 

"  Running  down  the  lane  between  the 
cross-fire,  the  first  company  followed  close 
(Newhall's),  but  the  rest  stopped  for  a 
couple    seconds.      I    had    not  wondered  if 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  13^ 

none  had  come,  —  young  soldiers  and  such 
a  tremendous  fire,  hullets  coming  like  a  rain. 
"  As  I  arrived  down  on  the  creek  I  said 
aloud,  '  If  I  could  send  somebody  back  I 
would  give  my  life  for  it.  We  are  lost 
here  if  they  don't  follow.'  My  Adjutant, 
Majthenyi,  hearing,  feared  that  he  will  be 
sent  back,  jumped  down  from  his  horse 
and  busy  himself  opening  the  fence." 


"  I  expected  to  find  the  enemy  on  the 
other  end  of  Springfield,  but,  unexpect- 
edly coming  out  of  the  woods  to  an 
open  place,  I  was  fired  on  in  front  of 
mine  command.  Halted  for  a  minute, 
seeing  that,  or  a  bold  forward  march 
under  a  cross-fire,  or  a  doubtful  retreat 
with  losing  most  of  my  men,  I  took 
the     first,     and      commanded     '  March  !  ' 


188  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Under  a  heavy  cross-fire,  (in  trot)  down 
the  little  hill  in  the  lane,  —  two  hun- 
dred yards,  —  to  a  creek,  where  I  or- 
dered the  fence  to  be  opened — marched 
in  my  command,  —  ordered  them  to  form, 
and  with  the  war-cry  of  '  Fremont  and 
the  Union,'  we  made  the  attack.  The 
First  Company  (Newhall's),  forty-seven 
strong,  against  five  or  six  hundred  in- 
fantry, and  the  rest  against  the  cavalry, 
was  made  so  successfully,  that,  in  three 
minutes,  the  cavalry  run  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  the  infantry  retreated  in  the 
thick  wood,  and  their  cavalry  in  every 
direction.  The  infantry  w^e  were  not 
able  to  follow  in  the  woods,  so  that 
we  turned  against  the  running  cavalry. 
With  those  we  had  in  different  places, 
and  in  differing  numbers,  attacked  and 
dispersed,  —  not    only    in    one    place,    but 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  139 

our  men  was  so  much  emboldened,  that 
twenty  or  thirty  attacked  twenty,  thirty 
times  their  numbers,  and  these  single- 
handed  attacks,  fighting  here  and  there 
on  their  own  hook,  did  us  more  harm 
than  their  grand  first  attack.  By  them 
we  lost  our  prisoners.  Single  -  handed 
they  fought  bravely,  specially  one,  —  a 
lieutenant, —  who,  in  a  narrow  lane,  wanted 
to  cut  himself  through  about  sixty  of  us, 
running-  in  that  direction.  But  he  was 
not  able  to  go  very  far.  Firing  two  or 
three  times,  he  ran  against  me,  and  put 
his  revolver  on  my  side,  but,  through  the 
movement  of  the  horse,  the  shot  passed 
behind  me.  He  was  a  perfect  target  — 
first  cut  down,  and  after  shot.  He  was 
a  brave  man ;  for  that  reason  I  felt  some 
pity  to   kill   him. 

"  Young  men  was  the  guard  —  but  re- 


140  THE   STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

markable  and  extraordinary  it  was  they 
gone    so    nice    through. 

"  In  this  way  the  town  was  cleared. 
We  went  to  their  encampment,  but  the 
ground  was  deserted,  and  we  returned 
to  the  Court-house,  raised  the  company- 
flag  on  the  Court-house,  hberated  prison- 
ers, and  collected  my  forces  together, — 
which  numbered  not  more,  including  my- 
self, than  seventy  men  on  horseback. 
The  rest,  —  without  horses,  or  wounded, 
and  about  thirty  who  had  dispersed  in 
pursuit  of  the  enemy,  —  I  could  not 
gather  up ;  and  it  was  midnight  before 
they  reached  me,  —  and  some  of  them 
next   day. 

"  I  never  was  sick  in  my  life,  Ma- 
dame, till  what  time  I  find  myself  leav- 
ing Springfield,  in  the  dark,  with  only 
sixty-nine     men     and     officers,  —  I     was 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  1-il 

the  seventy.  I  was  perfectly  sick  and 
disheartened,  so  I  could  hardly  sit  in 
the  saddle,  to  think  of  so  dear  a  vic- 
tory. 

"But  it  ended  so  that  fifteen  is  dead, 
—  two  died  after  —  ten  prisoners,  who 
was  released,  and  of  the  wounded,  not 
one  will  lose  a  finger.  In  all  seventeen 
lost." 


"One  hundred  and  fifty  started  on  the 
lane  down.  Thirty-nine  or  forty  was  dis- 
abled and  thrown  down  —  mostly  horses 
hurt  —  and  in  the  real  attack  was  not 
more  than  one  hundred  and  ten,  —  the 
highest  number." 


"  Half  the  battle  is  won,  if  you  go  into 
the  fight  with  spirit  and  noise,  and,  mostly, 


142  THE  STORY  OF    THE   GUARD. 

the  enemy  is  disheartened  by  it.  Very 
natural,  going-  against  them  in  fiist  trot, 
and  with  loud  noise,  they  was  not  able 
to  keep  in  order.  They  was  not  perfect 
soldiers,  and  their  horses  took  fright,  (I 
knew  they  would).  Our  horses  was  worn 
out,  and,  as  general  thing,  our  making 
noise  did  not  frighten  them,  and  our 
horses  was   more  trained    than    theirs. 

"After  this  we  had  to  retire,  —  leave  the 
town  in  the  hands  of  those  who  was  with- 
out any  horses.  I  was  perfectly  sure  that 
the  enemy  never  will  return,  but,  as  a 
soldier,  I  could  not  risk  any  possibility  of 
their  return. 

"  My  men  and  horses  was  so  much 
worn  out,  they  had  not  been  able  to  take 
care  of  themselves,  and  less  of  a  town. 
They  were  worn  out,  —  hardly  could  speak, 
—  hardly    could    sit    in    the    saddle,    from 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  l-^S 

tiredness ;  arms  worn  from  keeping  the 
horses  from  excitement  back,  and  the 
other  hand  from  tlie  use  of  the  sword 
was  worn  out  that  hardly  could  hold  up. 
Faces  blackened  from  powder  and  dust  ; 
hungered  out  from  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning  till  this  time,  —  six  in  the  even- 
ing, —  not  knowing  when  we  will  have 
any  more  of  anything,  made  them  per- 
fectly useless." 


"  As  we  dashed  through  the  streets,  the 
women  came  out  from  their  houses  to  the 
gates  of  their  gardens ;  waved  their  hand- 
kerchiefs, and  brought  out  flags,  and  did 
not  frighten  them  at  all,  —  the  shooting 
and  fighting.  Captain  Foley  exchanged 
words  with  them,  —  inquired  if  there  were 
any    rebels  ]      Answered    and    told    where, 


14<4<     THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

perfectly  coolly,  —  was  not  afraid  at  all. 
Next  day  they  took  the  greatest  pains  to 
attend  the  sick  and  the  wounded, — bring- 
ing them  every  delicacy,  and  attending  to 
their  comfort.  As  we  left  Springfield,  was 
already  dark,  that  we  could  not  see  ten 
steps  ahead. 

"  The  bugler  (Frenchman^  I  ordered  him 
two  three  time  to  put  his  sword  away  and 
take  the  bugle  in  his  hand,  that  I  shall 
be  able  to  use  him.  Hardly  I  took  my 
eyes  down,  next  minute  I  seen  him,  sword 
in  the  hand,  all  bloody ;  and  this  he  done 
two  or  three  times.  Finally,  the  mouth 
of  the  bugle  being  shot  away,  the  bugler 
had  excuse  for  gratifying  himself  in  use 
of  the  sword. 

"  One  had  a  beautiful  wound  through  the 
nose.  My  boy,  I  told  him,  I  would  give 
anything   for    that   wound.      After   twenty- 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  145 

four  liours  it  was  beautiful  —  just  the 
mark  enough  to  show  a  bullet  has  passed 
through ;  but,  poor  fellow,  he  cannot  even 
show  it.  It  healed  up  so  as  to  leave  no 
mark  at  all.  He  had  also  five  on  his  leg 
and  shoulder,  and  the  fifth  wound  he  only 
found,  after  six  days ;  he  could  not  move 
easy,  for  that  reason,  he  was  late  to  find 
there  was  two  wounds  in  the  legs.  In  the 
attack,  every  one  is  worth  to  be  mentioned. 
I  make  up  my  mind  to  name  no  names, 
when  all  was  deserving  mention. 

"  Lieut.    Kennedy    [the  "  quiet-natured 
officer]  was  wounded  twice,  —  in  the   arm 
and   in    the    side.      The   surgeons   said    he 
would  lose  it ;    but  he  has  not. 

"  More  than  sixty  horses  were  '  bul- 
letted ;  '  seventeen  carrying  bullets  were 
brought  back  to  St.   Louis." 

10 


146  TIIE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Every  one  who  followed  tlie  infantry 
into  the  wood  was  killed ;  but  from  an- 
other wooded  place,  several  of  the  wound- 
ed were  recovered.  Corporal  Dean,  who 
was  wounded  severely  in  going  down  the 
lane,  was  thrown  where  he  could  see  his 
riderless  horse  charge  with  the  Guard. 
Presently  the  horse  returned,  snuffing  the 
air,  and  neighing.  He  called  it  hy  name, 
when  it  came  running  to  him  ;  but,  com- 
ing on  the  other  side  of  the  fence,  after 
many  ineffectual  attempts  to  get  to  its 
master,  it  again   made   off  to  the  rest. 

I  think  Wisa  was  the  one  whose  life 
may  be  said  to  have  been  saved  by 
the  little  terrier.  This  dog  had  joined 
the  Guard  on  one  of  their  excursions  in 
the  outskirts  of  St.  Louis,  coming  back 
to  camp  with  them,  and  keeping  with 
them,   not  only  there   and   all   the   time  on 


THE   STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  HTjf 

the  march,  hut  cliarging  witli  tlie  Guard, 
and  keeping  up  in  the  heat  of  the  fray. 
As  the  day  closed,  he  found  himself  by 
this  wounded  man,  and,  nestling  to  him, 
remained  by  him  all  night  —  sallying  out 
of  the  wood  at  dawn,  and,  by  his  barking 
and  actions,  inducing  a  man  whom  he  met 
to  follow  him  to  where  Wisa  lay,  stiff  and 
exhausted,  with  pain,  and  cold,  and  hunger. 
"  Corporal "  was  the  name  of  this  little 
fellow,  and,  as  the  Knight's  dog  lies  at 
his  feet  on  the  old  tombs,  a  terrier 
couclmnt  should  bring  up  this  story  and 
be  its  "  Finis." 


"  Headquarters  in  the  Field, 

"Western  Department, 

"  Oct.  26,  18G1. 

"  I  am  really  delighted  this  morning  with 
Zagonyi's  brilliant  action,  and  half  at  least 


148  THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

of  my  delight  is  in  the  pleasure  it  will 
give  to  you.  I  send  Captain  Howard 
with  the  despatches  to  Captain  McKeever, 
that  he  may  forward  them  officially  to 
Washington. 

"  As  I  have  already  informed  you,  hav- 
ing learned  on  the  24th  that  three  or 
four  hundred  of  the  enemy,  with  a  large 
train,  from  Lebanon,  were  in  Springfield, 
from  which  we  were  then  forty-eight  miles 
distant,  I  sent  forward  Major  Zagonyi 
with  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  my  Guards, 
and  Major  \yhite  with  one  hundred  and 
eighty  of  his  cavalry,  the  whole  under 
Major  Zagonyi,  and  \\ith  directions  to  dis- 
perse the  enemy,  take  or  destroy  the  train, 
and  fall  back  upon  our  main  body.  I 
also  ordered  forward,  in  support,  the  cav- 
alry from  Wyman's  command,  then  ad- 
vancing by  way  of  Cross   Plains   to  Bol- 


THE   STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  149 

ivar.  Yesterday  evening  at  half-past  six 
I  received  the  first  despatch  from  Zagonyi 
informing  me  that  the  enemy  had  been 
reenforced  by  fifteen  hundred  men,  but  that 
he  should  go  forward  and  attack,  and  ask- 
inof  that  reenforcements  should  be  sent  to 
him.  In  half  an  hour  it  was  on  its  way 
to  him,  and  at  nine  o'clock  left  Sigel's 
camp,  which  is  six  miles  in  advance  of  us. 
The  reenforcement  was  eight  hundred  cav- 
alry  and    one    section    of   artillery.      This 

morning,    before    day,    Mr.    was    in 

my  tent  with  your  letters,  and  while  he 
was  giving  me  his  news,  one  of  Zagonyi's 
men  arrived  with  his  despatch,  giving  the 
account  of  his  brilhant  victory.  I  had  all 
along  promised  this  fine  body  of  young 
men  that  I  would  give  them  an  early 
opportunity  for  distinction.  They  have 
profited   by  it   well.     Zagonyi,  on   starting 


150  THE   STORY  OF   THE   GUARD. 

from  camp,  had  left  one  of  his  officers 
in  charge  of  the  few  of  the  guards  neces- 
sarily left  at  camp.  He  came  to  me  and 
told  me  that  this  officer  was  literally  cry- 
ing at  heing  left,  and  requested  permission 
for  him  to  go.  Of  course  he  went.  Za- 
gonyi  gives  no  details,  but  I  am  afraid, 
from  what  I  can  learn,  that  I  have  lost 
fifteen  of  them.  I  will  send  you  details. 
His  messenger  met  the  reenforcement  about 
three  miles  beyond  Bolivar.  Zagonyi  was 
falling  back  upon  it.  I  am  moving  for- 
ward, and  to-night  the  advance  of  the 
army  will    be    in   Springfield. 

"  Just  at  this  moment  I  hear  the  shout- 
ing of  the  men  who  were  drawn  up  to 
hear   Zagonyi's  despatch  read. 

"  I  enclose  a  little  note  to  the  President. 
Send  it  or  not  as  you  think  fit.  If  you 
send  it,  mark  it  '  Private '  on  the  outside. 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  151 

"  This  was  really  a  Balaklava  charge. 
The  Guards  numbered  only  one  hundred 
and  fifty.  You  notice  that  Zagonyi  says 
he  has  seen  charges,  but  never  such  a 
one.  Their  war-cry,  he  says,  sounded 
like  thunder.  This  action  is  a  noble  ex- 
ample to  the  army. 

"  If  you  send  it,  take  especial  care  that 
the  letter  to  the  President  certainly  reaches 
him. 

"  I  will  now  read  my  letters,  of  which 
I  have  a  large  package.  I  just  glanced 
over  your  note  to  get  its  good,  bright 
color,  and  answer  by  next  mail,  knowing 
that  this  is  going  to  give  you  great  pleas- 
ure and  confidence 

"J.  C.  F." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Presi- 
dent took  no  active  part  in  military  matters 


152  THE  STORY    OF   THE   GUARD. 

at  that  time,  and  the  alHed  forces  who  dic- 
tated on  Western  affairs  took  care  that  no 
star  for  merit  should  find  its  way  west- 
ward. 

They  manag^e  these  things  better  in 
France.  No  French  soldier  felt  his  knap- 
sack too  empty  when  it  carried  the  possi- 
ble baton  of  a  marshal.  It  had  happened  — 
why  not  to  him  too^ — that  the  Emperor, 
passing  as  some  heroic  act  was  performed, 
detached  his  own  cross  of  the  Leofion  of 
Honor,  and  himself  fastened  it  on  the  sol- 
dier's breast  —  or  he  had  said  Mon  brave, 
je  te  nomme  Serjeant  ou  Capitaine,  or 
whatever  their  mind  suggested  as  nearly 
fabulous.  But  all  were  sure  that  their 
names  never  died  out ;  —  at  roll-call  the 
living  answered,  for  those  who  could  speak 
no  more,  "  Died  on  the  field  of  honor." 
Courage  and  devotion   could   not   go   unre- 


THE   STORY   OP   THE  GUARD.  153 

warded  among  them.  Nor  does  Napier, 
in  his  elaborate  History  of  the  Peninsular 
War,  disdain  to  pause  and  record  the  ex- 
ample of  the  nameless  private,  who  at  the 
siege  of  Badajoz,  actually  ran  head-fore- 
most upon  and  into  the  palisade  of  sabres 
erected  by  the  French. 

Suppose  General  Jackson  had  been  the 
General  to  whom  this  request  for  Zagonyi  s 
promotion  was  referred.  Our  frontier  In- 
dians (who  see  a  good  deal  of  garrisons, 
and  have  a  certain  grim  humor)  have  their 
own  name  for  such  officers  as  have  not  seen 
service.  "  Peace  Captains  "  they  call  them. 
Being  a  frontiersman,  "  a  civilian  you 
know  —  no  military  education  whatever, 
nor  any  of  that  sort  of  thing,"  General 
Jackson  mio^ht  have  made  an  Indian's  dis- 
tinction  in  the  case,  and  given  rewards  to 
the   young  heroes    "  red  with   the  soldiers' 


lo4f  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

true  baptism  of  the  battle-field,"  rather 
than  to  the  correctly  prepared  Peace  Cap- 
tains. 


"  In  the  Field,  Bolivar, 
«  Oct.  27,  18G1. 

"  As  I  told  you  I  intended,  our  advance 
was  in  Springfield  last  night  and  our  flag 
flying  there.  Our  troops  were  moving  all 
night  long  on  the  road  between  this  and 
Springfield,    where    I    shall    stop    to-night. 

"  By  Mr.  ,  who  goes  back  to-day, 

I  send  you  the  secession  flag  captured  by 
the  Guards  in  the  action  at  Springfield. 
I  rode  ahead  last  niffht  to  a  house  where 
was  Zagonyi  with  some  of  our  wounded, 
two  of  whom  were  officers.  So  far  as  I 
know  at  this  moment,  our  loss  in  killed 
was  fifteen,  but  I  shall  know  better  at  the 
close  of  the  day.      The  secession  loss  was 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  155 

severe.  I  will  give  you  details  to-morrow. 
The  action  lasted  an  hour  and  three  quar- 
ters after  the  first  charge.  The  secession- 
ists formed  in  line  in  their  camp,  and  the 
Guards  took  down  a  fence  under  their  fire 
before  they  could  charge, —  this,  after  the 
beffinnino;-  in  which  the  Guards  received 
their  fire,  from  which  forty  of  our  horses 
fell.  One  of  our  non-commissioned  offi- 
cers had  three  horses  shot  under  him, 
others  several.  We  are  oWiged  to  leave 
sixty  of  their  horses,  more  or  less  wound- 
ed. The  action  was  continued  through 
the  town,  which  was  cleared  street  by 
street,  the  Secessionists  firins"  also  from 
houses,  fences,  and  other  protection.  Many 
of  the  men  have  lost  their  caps,  and  had 
their  clothes  torn  to  pieces, —  as  Zagonyi 
says,  '  not  any  more  fit  to  appear  as 
Body-Guard.' 


156  THE  STORY   OF   THE   GUARD. 

"  Let  me  remind  you  that  two  of  my 
Guard,  accidentally  wounded  when  Mr. 
Cameron  was  at  Tipton,  are  at  St.  Louis. 
Will  you  have  them  looked  up  ?  Either 
already  at  St.  Louis,  or  somewhere  be- 
tween Tipton  and  St.  Louis.  Please 
have    them    cared    for." 


X. 

AT  SPRINGFIELD. 

"  Springfield,  Oct.  27,  18G2. 

"  All  last  night  and  to-day  the  troops 
were  lining  the  road  on  their  march  from 
Bolivar  to  this  place.  I  arrived  this  af- 
ternoon, and  have  here  the  Third  Divis- 
ion, under  General  Sigel,  together  with 
Colonel  Marshall's  regiment  and  Major 
Holman  with  his  sharpshooters.  The 
Guards  of  course.  All  these  are  active 
officers  and  good  troops.  General  Sigel 
with  a  part  of  his  division  has  formed  the 
advance  of  the  army,  and  on  this  march 
has  again  proved  himself  a  good  and 
skilful  officer. 

"  General  Asboth  with  his  division  will 
be  up  to-morrow  night.     General  Pope  is 


158  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

next  on  the  road,  and  General  McKinstry 
will  probably  come  in  the  next.  We  made 
fine  marching.  Yesterday  Marshall's  regi- 
ment of  infantry  made  a  hard  march,  and 
to-day  they  marched  from  Bolivar  to 
Springfield,  thirty  miles,  getting  into  their 
camp  before  dark.  General  Sigel  with 
his  whole  division  marched  twenty  miles. 
You  will  have  many  details  of  the  good 
fight  which  the  Guards  made  here,  and 
every  detail  will  go  to  show  you  what  a 
brave  charge  it  was.  Three  different  regi- 
ments constituted  the  force  here,  under  the 
command  of  Frazer  and  other  colonels. 
I  am  pained  that  our  loss  has  been  so  se- 
vere. As  soon  as  I  reached  the  town  I 
rode  to  the  hospital  where  I  found  four- 
teen of  my  brave  Guards  lying  in  their 
uniforms,  side  by  side,  in  narrow,  rough, 
plank  coffins.      One    was   brought    in    and 


THE   STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  159 

laid  by  them  while  I  was  in  the  room;  he 
was  quite  young,  a  Kentucky  boy,  who  had 
been,  I  think,  a  clerk  in  the  company. 
He  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  was 
brought  in,  —  wretchedly  beaten  to  death 
with  muskets,  apparently,  —  from  about 
seven  miles  out.  Another  died  in  a  room 
above  while  I  was  in  the  hospital.  With 
two  exceptions  our  wounded  will  proba- 
bly all  recover.  Charley  recognized  some 
of  his  particular  friends  among  the  killed, 
and  cried  and  sobbed  when  he  was  telling 
me  about  it  just  now.  On  the  other  side 
eighty-three  were  killed,  according  to  what 
can  be  learned  here,  and  the  wounded  we 
cannot  well  know.  Our  officers  apparently 
were  singled  out  in  the  scattering  fight 
through  the  town.  Every  one  of  them, 
officers  and  non-commissioned  officers,  lost 
from  one  to  three  horses  during  the  fight. 


160  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Many  horses  had  been  buried  before  I  got 
here,  but  twenty  dead  still  remained  on 
the  field,  and  as  I  told  you,  we  left  sixty 
wounded  twenty-five  miles  back.  We 
have  a  good  number  of  prisoners,  some  of 
them  wounded,  and  some  of  their  wound- 
ed are  in  and  about  the  town. 

"  I  wish  Captain  McKeever  to  send  me 
up  immediately  all  the  rest  of  the  Guards 
who  are  at  St.  Louis,  with  direction  to 
follow  me  to  my  camp.  Ask  him  to  arm 
them  thoroughly  with  sabres  and  revolv- 
ers;—  to  have  them  otherwise  thoroughly 
equipped  and  expedited  through  to  me. 

"  I   send   you   the   names   of   killed    and 

wounded.      Major    White,    who    had    been 

captured    before    the    engagement,    escaped 

and  recaptured,  and  again  escaped,  is  here 

with   me  only   slightly  hurt.     So   wTite  to 

his  mother." 

"J.  C.  F." 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  161 

"  Springfield,  Oct.  28,  1861. 
"  A  beautiful,  cool,  bright  morning.  The 
funeral  of  our  Guards  will  take  place  to- 
day at  one  o'clock.  You  remember  that 
I  told  you  in  the  charge  some  forty  horses 
fell,  and  the  greater  part  of  their  riders 
necessarily  were  obliged  to  escape  into  the 
woods,  being  separated  from  the  command 
and  unable  to  get  hold  of  other  horses,  as 
some  did.  I  am  afraid  that  a  number  of 
them  will  have  been  butchered  by  the 
enemy  who  hung  around  the  town  until 
the  reinforcements  got  up,  which  was  yes- 
terday at  daybreak.  I  therefore  may  have 
a  greater  loss  to  tell  you  of,  but  hope  not, 
—  we  don't  know  yet.  Meantime,  our 
men  are  greatly  exasperated  by  condition 
of  the  boy  brought  in  as  I  told  you  in 
my  letter  of  yesterday,  and  by  the  hanging 

of  a    Union    man    and   boy  yesterday  not 
11 


162  THE  STORY   OF   THE  GUARD. 

far  off,  by  the  secession  troops.  There- 
fore the  parties  which  I  have  thrown  for- 
ward over  the  neighboring-  country  will 
do  rough  work  if  they  come  upon  any  of 
the  enemy.  Many  scenes  will  interest 
you  in  the  fight.  The  war  will  have  noth- 
ing more  splendid  to  record.  Send  me 
up  a  flag  for  the  Guard  when  the  re- 
mainder of  them  come  up,  and  have 
them  come  quick.  And  they  may  hurry 
up  the  transportation  now,  for  if  it  was 
intended  in  this  way  to  keep  us  from 
moving,  the  plan  has  failed,  and  we  hold 
to-day  the  key  of  the  State.  The  Legis- 
lature intended  to  meet  here.  First  at 
Neosho,  and  then  here.  Part  of  them 
were  here  a  few  days  ago,  but  we  rather 
hurried  up  their  travelling.  After  a  little 
I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  what  plans  I 
may  form.      I  am  getting  a  little  uneasy 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  168 

about  Paducah ;  but  General  Smith  is  so 
good  an  officer,  and  the  place  so  strong, 
that  I  think  I  may  trust  it,  with  what 
will  be  done  by  other  *  forces.  The  time 
for  the  funeral  has  come,  and  I  close  to 
let  Express  go  at  once. 

"J.  C.  F." 


«  Springfield,  Oct.  29,  1862. 
"  I  have  nothing  special  this  morning  to 
tell  you,  —  that  is,  nothing  special  done 
yesterday,  and  whatever  it  is  that  is  to 
be  done,  it  is  never  safe  to  trust  to  a  let- 
ter. I  attended  the  funeral  of  my  Guards 
yesterday ;  they  were  buried  with  mili- 
tary honors.  The  Union  people  begin  to 
raise  their  heads  since  our  arrival,  and  a 
procession  of  Union  women  walked  by  the 
side  of  the  cortege  to  the  grave.     I   saw 


164  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

big  tears  falling  from  the  eyes  of  the  men 
who  surrounded  the  graves.  I  have  not 
time  to  write  you  the  incidents ;  —  you 
must  read  what  the  reporters  say.  .  .  . 

"  I  must  not  forget  to  say  that  a  portion 
of  the  men  unhorsed  in  the  charge  and 
left  behind,  held  the  touai  continuously 
until  the  reinforcements  arrived.  The 
fence  rails  are  in  many  places  riddled  with 
balls  where  the  action  took  place,  and 
within  the  wood  where  our  people  charged 
upon  the  infantry,  I  saw  yesterday  four 
horses  of  the  Guard  lying  dead  within  ten 
steps  of  each  other,  in  one  group.  A  little 
dog,  (terrier,)  "  the  Corporal,"  belonging 
to  the  Guards,  charged  with  them,  and  re- 
mained on  the  field  until  twelve  at  night, 
sitting  by  the  side  of  one  of  the  wounded 
Guards,  who  was  not  brought  in  until  that 
time.      Another    one    of  the    Guards    was 


THE  STORY  OF   THE   GUARD.  165 

brought  in  last  evening-  from  a  distance  of 
eight  miles,  —  a  prisoner  and  murdered, 
like  the  one  I  told  you  of  in  my  letter  of 
yesterday 

"  The  loss  of  the  Guards,  so  far  as  ascer- 
tained,* is  fifty-two  in  killed,  wounded,  and 
missing-  —  one  third  of  the  whole  number. 
I  sent  out  strong  reconnoitring  parties 
yesterday.  At  night  some  prisoners  were 
brought  in  :  a  Lieutenant-Colonel  Price 
and  fourteen  others.  It  is  thought  that 
among  the  force  routed  here  was  a  regi- 
ment from  Arkansas.  The  weather  con- 
tinues fine 

"  I  notice  in  one  of  the  Journals  that  it 
was  upon  a  Report  by  Adjutant- General 
Thomas  of  his  examination  into  the  ad- 
ministration   of    my    department    that    the 

*  The  real  loss  was  reduced  to  seventeen,  by  ex- 
change of  prisoners  and  recovery  of  wounded. 


166  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Cabinet  met  in  council.  A  bitterly  hos- 
tile and  .  .  .  .  Adjutant-General  to  ride 
through  my  department  and  pronounce 
upon  my  conduct,  without  producing  any 
authority  from  the  President,  who  only 
was  competent  to  order  such  an  injurious 
proceeding,  and  without  any  intimation  to 
me    of    such    a    purpose  !    Let    them    go 

on 

"J.  C.  F." 


XL 

THE   DEAD. 


"  The  land  is  full  of  farewells  to  the  dying, 
And  mournings  for  the  dead." 

Major  Corwine  told  me  that  when  the 
Kentucky  Company  was  leaving  Cincin- 
nati, the  train  was  surrounded  by  their 
friends,  —  "more  pretty  girls  than  I  ever 
saw  together  before  —  crying,  but  looking 
brave,  and  Avilling  for  them  to  go." 

For  these  same  dear  ones  other  women 
shed  tears,  —  women  who,  daring  to  look, 
first  saw  them  as  they  charged  through 
the  streets  of  their  home,  and  gave  their 
answering  prayers  to  the  wild  battle- 
cry  for  the  Union ;  —  these  women  fol- 
lowed, grateful  and  weeping,  those  who  had 


168  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

brought  back  to  them  the  protecting  flag; 
—  but  now 

"  Red  hand  in  the  foray 
How  sound  is  thy  slumber !  " 

I  have  been  told  of  one  of  these  much- 
tried  women,  who  painfully  and  with  the 
aid  of  crutches,  followed  in  this  funeral, 
that  her  husband  and  son  had  both  been 
killed,  and  herself  wounded,  by  a  guerilla 
party.  Robbed  also  during  Price's  occu- 
pation of  Springfield,  she  was  quite  de- 
pendent on  a  son-in-law.  In  the  fighting 
through  the  streets  he  was  accidentally 
killed.  And  yet  this  woman  could  and 
did  do  honor  by  her  presence  to  those 
who  had  deprived  her  of  her  last  support. 
And  this  was  the  kind  of  people  from 
whom  all  protection  was  withdrawn  ! 


THE  STORY   OF   THE  GUARD.  169 

"  CUMMINSVILLE,   NoV.    2,  1861. 

"Dear  Sir, — 

"  I  received  your  letter  of  October  30, 
and  thank  you  kindly  for  its  favor.  Your 
dispatch  in  the  '  Gazette '  of  this  morning 
moved  us  to  tears,  as  did  also  the  list  of 
killed  and  wounded  in  the  '  Enquirer,' 
copied  from  the  '  St.  Louis  Republican.' 
William  Vanway,  one  of  our  neighbors, 
is  among  the  dead.  He  was  one  of  a 
very  fine  family.  His  father  died  about 
a  year  ago,  and  news  has  just  arrived  of 
the  death  of  his  brother,  in  Western  Vir- 
ginia, in  the  Guthrie  Gray  Regiment,  and 
right  upon  that  is  the  death  of  William 
at  Springfield.     The  mother  is  overwhelmed 

at  her  loss 

"Very  truly  your  friend, 

"  J.  F.  Lakeman. 

"  To  Major  R.  M.  Corwine, 

"  A.  D.  C.  and  Judire  Advocate." 


lyO  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

When  some  great  grief  leaves  one  blinded 
and  dizzy,  with  no  power  to  comprehend 
the  uprooted  life  or  accept  its  new  condi- 
tions, —  then  through  the  helpless,  fevered 
mind  come  floating  consoling  words  of 
Scripture,  —  verses  that  seemed  so  far  off 
but  a  little  while  ago  are  now  stamped 
vividly  and  forever  in  new  meaning  on  our 
changed  lives. 

"  Who  ne'er  his  bread  in  sorrow  ate, 

Who  ne'er  throughout  the  midnight  hours 
Weeping,  upon  his  bed  has  sate,  — 

He  knows  ye  not,  ye  Heavenly  Powers." 

As  in  those  pictures  where  the  fewer  prin- 
cipal figures  are  relieved  against  a  ground- 
work of  shadowy  faces  filled  with  unutter- 
able woe,  so  back  of  our  armies  in  the  field 
I  see  that  noble  army  of  martyred  women 
who  "  dwell   in   the   shadow  of  the   moun- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  l^l 

tain."  Theirs  is  the  "  dull,  deep  anguish 
of  patience,"  —  they  are  being  trained  to 
endure.  For  them  the  most  we  can  do 
is  so  sadly  little  ;  but  "  the  end  shall 
tell." 


"  To  weary  hearts,  to  mourning  homes, 
God's  meekest  angel  gently  comes ; 
No  power  has  he  to  banish  pain, 
Or  give  us  back  our  lost  again  ; 
And  yet,  in  tenderest  love,  our  dear 
And  Heavenly  Father  sends  him  here. 

*'  There's  quiet  in  that  angel's  glance, 
There's  rest  in  his  still  countenance; 
He  mocks  no  grief  with  idle  cheer, 
Nor  wounds  with  words  the  mourner's  ear; 
But  ills  and  woes  he  may  not  cure 
He  kindly  trains  us  to  endure. 


172  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"  Angel  of  Patience  !  sent  to  calm 
Our  feverish  brow  -with  cooling  palm, — 
To  lay  the  storms  of  hope  and  fear, 
And  reconcile  life's  smile  and  tear; 
And  throbs  of  wounded  pride  to  still, 
And  make  our  own  our  Father's  will ! 

"  Oh  thou,  who  mournest  on  thy  way ! 
With  longings  for  the  close  of  day, 
He  walks  with  thee,  that  angel  kind. 
And  gently  whispers,  '  Be  resigned,  — 
Bear  up,  bear  on,  the  end  shall  tell. 
That  God  has  ordered  all  things  well.'" 


THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  I78 

"DEAD  ON  THE  FIELD  OF  HONOR.' 

Those  who  were  killed  in  action  at  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri, on  the  25th  October,  1861,  were  — 
Co.  A. 
Corporal  D.  F.  Chamberlain,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Corporal  Julius  Baker,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Wagoner  F.  C.  Frantz,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  George  Dutro,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  Herman  Fry,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  Louis  Osburg,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Co.  B. 
Corporal  Francis  Schneider,    St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Private  Dennis  Morat,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  J.  Nellmann,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  Mitchell  Rose,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  G.  M.  Schrack,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Private  William  Wright,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Co.  C. 
Corporal  John  Morrison,  Indiana. 

Corporal  William  Vanway,      Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Private  E.  Davis,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio. 

Private  Alexander  C.  Linfoot,  Covington,  Ky. 


XII. 

THE  BEGIKN^NG  OF  THE  EXD. 

St.  Paul  asks,  "  Who  goeth  a  warfare 
at  any  time  of  his  own  cost]  or  who 
planteth  a  vineyard,  and  eateth  not  of  the 
fruit  thereof? " 


"  Springfield,  October  30,  1861. 
"  I  received  your  note  of  Thursday  night 
yesterday  morning.  A  little  postscript, 
added  on  Friday  morning,  tells  me  that  the 
reports  concerning  my  removal  and  Gen- 
eral McClellan's  victory  were  not  confirmed. 
I  assure  you  I  am  getting  pretty  well 
tired  of  being  badgered  in  this  way.  I 
ought  to  have  all  my  energies  here  em- 
ployed against  the  enemy,  and  all  the  aid 
from  Washington,  moral  and  physical,  that 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  YJ5 

the  government  can  give.  In  daily  expec- 
tation of  being  removed,  my  subordinate 
officers  encouraged   in   disobedience   by  the 

conduct  of 5  and    the   rigid 

rule  which  should  govern  an  army  moving 
in  face  of  the  enemy  disregarded  by  supe- 
rior officers,  it  becomes  nearly  impossible 
for  me  to  calculate  upon  the  execution  of 
any  plan.  I  cannot  and  I  do  not  rely 
upon  the  success  of  any  combination  I  may 
make,  because  I  am  not  able  to  rely  upon 
the  execution  of  the  orders  I  send  back. 
In  fact,  I  do  not  now  venture  to  make 
any  combinations.  Our  success  to  this 
point  is  due  to  taking  just  what  force  I 
could  gather  around  me  and  moving  right 
along,  regardless  of  the  rest,  and  trusting 
to  our  own  ability  to  provide  resources 
for  all  contingencies.  But  I  am  getting 
tired  of  this  business.     You  can  see,  and 


IJQ  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

it  is  plain  to  be  seen,  that  in  this  way  the 
success  of  the  war  and^the  interests  of  the 
country  are  put  at  great  hazard.  As  I 
said  to  you,  in  the  means  taken   to   break 

me   down, are    certainly 

betraying  the  interests  of  the  country. 
Now  w^as  the  time,  the  accepted  time,  for 
making  great  progress  in  the  war,  but 
the  days  of  the  Republic  are  being  num- 
bered while  the  power  of  the  government 
sleeps.  So  I  am  getting  tired  of  all  this, 
and  you  must  not  be  surprised,  if  this 
goes  on,  to  find  me  throwing  up  the  reins. 
But  I  will  be  governed  by  the  events  of 
the  next  few  days. 

"  General  Asboth  arrived  with  his  divi- 
sion yesterday.  Hunter  is  reported  coming 
up  next  behind  him,     ( 

) 

Pope  next,  and  McKinstry  said  to  be  in  the 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  I77 

rear.  Notwithstanding  some  hard  marches 
tliat  I  have  given  them,  and  scarcity  of  the 
usual  food,  tlie  troops  are  in  the  hest  pos- 
sible disposition.  The  Zagonyi  charge  has 
given  tone  to  the  army,  and  we  see  it 
already  working.  I  have  the  satisfaction 
to  tell  you  that  my  Delawares  came  in 
yesterday  afternoon,  —  Fall-Leaf,  who  has 
been  with  me  before,  and  fifty  of  his  good 
men.  They  are  encamped  here  close  by 
me. 

"  All  reports  so  far  fix  the  enemy  at 
Neosho  up  to  Monday  afternoon.  To-day  I 
shall  probably  have  positive  information  in 
reo-ard  to  them.  I  am  in  communication 
with  General  Price,  concerning  exchange  of 
prisoners  and  some  other  points.  The  weath- 
er is  fine  to-day.  Lieut.  Heppner  arrived, 
and  I  take  him  with  me  this  morning,  to  se- 
lect ground  for  General  Hunter.  I  expect  to 
12 


1^8  THE   STORY  OF   THE  GUARD. 

see  Howard  to-morrow  night,  and  I  tliink  lie 
probably  will  bring  nie  some  definite  intel- 
liofence  ree^ardinof-  Washinofton.  You  must 
not  think  me  discouraged  when  I  say  I 
am  tired  of  this ;  but  I  am  impatient.  I 
feel  outraoed  at  their  continued  indio^nities, 
and  I  aai  always  asking  myself,  Ciii  hono  ? 
Why  do  I  endure  it^  They  are  sapping 
my  character ;  why  not  at  once  protest 
against  them  %  So  don't  think  me  dis- 
couraged. I  feel  well,  strong,  and  ready 
for  any  emergency,  and,  above  all,  I  feel 
the  most  unqualified  contempt  for  ...  . 
And  how  does  the  nation  endure  it  ?  Con- 
tending for  great  principles,  —  a  vital  war, 
—  how  can  the  people  stand  quietly  by, 
and  see  their  blood  and  treasure  so  thrown 
away  \  Squandered  by  demagogues  in  per- 
sonal cabals,  when  the  true  objects  of  the 
war,    taken    together,     are    probably    the 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  l^Q 

grandest  for  which  a  nation  ever  con- 
tended in  arms,  —  its  own  national  exist- 
ence, and  the  fate  of  one  of  the  quarters 
of  the  world !  But  there  is  no  use,  now 
and  here,  to  talk  of  this. 

"  Didn't  we  do  a  good  thing  in  striking 
so  far  and  so  deadly  a  blow,  and  throw- 
ing the  head  of  our  column  so  suddenly 
into  the  key  of  the  South'?  It  took  them 
all  by  surprise, —  friends  and  enemies.  In 
their  retreat  through  the  country,  the  ene- 
my reported  that  they  were  attacked  by 
2500   men 

"  I  send  special  messenger  for  the  Guards. 
Hurry  up  Constable's  Battery,  if  it  is  in 
any  way  possible  to  get  him ;  and  a  thou- 
sand of  the  Austrian  altered  muskets  would 
be  most  acceptable,  if  we  could  have  them 
sent  at  once.  All,  of  course,  if  I  am  to 
remain  here. 


180  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"  It  may  show  you  the  willingness  of  the 
German  troops  to  do  their  duty,  to  say 
that  General  Asboth's  division  had  nothing 
but  meat  for  four  days,  and  the  General 
reports  that  they  have  nothing  else  to-day. 
Still  they  have  done  their  duty  well  and 
cheerfully,  although  their  health  must  suf- 
fer  

"J.  C.  F." 


"  Headquarters  Western  Department, 
"Springfield,  Oct.  30,  1861. 


"Ere  this,  I  doubt  not,  Adlatus  Jack 
will  have  reached  you,  with  his  public 
budget  of  '  glorious  news,'  and  his  private 
package  of  items  of  personal,  adventure 
and  experience.  Nevertheless,  I  write  you 
a  few  lines    by  the  morning    express  ;  for 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  181 

I  doubt  imicli  wlietlier  the  Captain's  pri- 
vate package  will  find  time  to  be  opened, 
and  I  know  that  by  the  time  this  reaches 
you,  he  will  be  again  at  his  post,  and  a 
word  from  his  brother-in-arms  will  not  be 
unacceptable. 

"  At  the  same  time,  you  must  excuse  the 
unfamiliar  look  of  this  handwriting.  Dr. 
Tellkampf  has  just  performed  a  slight 
surgical  operation  on  my  right  hand,  and  I 
am  obliged,  on  account  of  bandages,  &c., 
to  hold  my  pen  in  an  entirely  new  man- 
ner. I  always  felt,  intuitively,  that  that 
man  would  draw  my  blood  at  the  first 
decent  opportunity,  with  malignant  satis- 
faction. However,  I  will  not  scoff  at 
him,  since  he  has  saved  me  from  a  '  fel- 
on's doom.' 

"  We  are  in  Springfield,  and  occupying 
the    old    headquarters    of    General    Lyon. 


182  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Sigel  has  his  own  former  quarters.  As- 
both  is  encamped  about  half  a  mile  from 
us.  The  other  divisions  have  not  yet  ar- 
rived. 

"  Let  me  turn  to  some  pleasanter  subject, 
—  say  the  dust.  Oh,  plagues  of  Egypt ! 
will  you  oblige  me  by  paling  your  ineffec- 
tual fires'?  The  Dust  is  conqueror  here. 
I  have  seen  my  own  proud  chieftain  bow 
before  it,  his  glory  obscured  and  hidden 
in  its  cloudy  folds.  Ralph  and  his  wisp 
broom  are  as  Mrs.  Partington  and  her 
mop  before  it.  Our  tents  are  pitched  in 
a  yard,  close  on  the  street ;  and,  as  a 
consequence,  the  street  comes  often  into 
camp.  We  see  one  another  darkly ;  we 
feel  gradually  the  great  truth  that  we  are 
but  dust ;  we  bite  the  dust  in  our  humility. 
There  is  but   one    antidote  which    is    here 


THE  STORY   OF  THE   GUARD.  183 

in  sufficient  quantity, —  Contrabands.  With 
five  darkeys,  one  can  keep  clean  just  five 
minutes ;  but  the  operation  of  being  brush- 
ed is  wearisome  after  the  first  half  hour. 
But,  seriously,  it  is  a  very  interesting 
sight  the  number  of  slaves  who  have 
fled  to  us  from  secession  masters.  One 
man  now  in  my  employ  was  waiting  in  the 
woods  two  months  '  fur  dis  yer  crowd 
to  come,'  —  as  he  irreverently  spoke  of 
our  army.  He  had  been  handcuffed  and 
whipped,  and  ran  away.  His  master  was 
formerly  good  to  him,  but  had  treated 
him  harshly  since  the  loss  of  Springfield. 
One  other  I  have,  —  a  clear-eyed,  bright 
quadroon  boy.  He  and  his  brother  are  in 
camp,  and  I  hope  mine  will  turn  out  so 
well  suited  to  me  that  I  can  take  him 
back  to  the  North  when  we  return. 
Every  one  on  the  staff   is    getting  rapidly 


18  4  THE  STORY  OF    THE  GUARD. 

supplied  with,  his  necessary  article.  The 
camp  swarms  with  contrabands  of  various 
hues.  The  two  brothers  of  whom  I 
spoke  are  so  white  that  I  could  not  be- 
Heve  them  slaves.  The  abolitionists  j^er 
se  in  our  midst  —  Colonel  Lovejoy  and 
others  —  find  their  hands  full.  Sable 
visitors  come  to  the  gallant  Colonel  at  all 
hours,  and  are  not  turned  away. 

"  Wamba  appears  to  command  my  pres- 
ence in  the  '  pavilion,'  (where  there  is  just 
room  for  two.)  He  winks  as  usual,  and 
calls  me  Mr.  Hayball.  If  I  undertook  to 
set  him  right,  he  would  wink  himself  into 
an  apoplexy  over  the  sudden  idea,  —  so  I 
let  it  rest.     .     . 

"  As  for  your  humble  servant,  he  has 
been  busy  enough  since  the  departure  of 
Captain    Howard ;    and    hopes  he  has  not 


THE  STORY   OF  THE   GUARD.  18o 

Utterly  failed  in  his  attempt  to  supply  the 
deficiency  made  by  that  Adlatus'  absence. 
In  addition  to  various  other  charofes  and 
duties,  I  am  accidentally  the  chosen  vic- 
tim of  the  Delaware  Indians,  to  the  num- 
ber of  fifty-two,  who  bring  their  troubles 
and  desires  to  me.  Fall-Leaf  commands, 
and  Johnny-cake  interprets  them.  Be- 
hold the  bound  which  no  Adlatus  shall 
dare  to  pass,  —  the  end,  I  mean,  of  the 
first  four  pages.  This  may  be  the  last 
letter  the  '  lieutenant '  writes  you.  I  feel 
sure  we  shall  see  the  enemy  erelong,  — 
and  the  enemy  has  promised  me  a  cap- 
tain's straps.  R." 


For  the  week  following  the  twenty-fifth 
October,  Springfield  saw  good  days.  The 
long    subjection    to    the    rebels    was    over. 


186  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

and  the  Unionists  were  exultant.  For  the 
first  time,  since  early  in  August,  they 
were  in  communication  with  the  rest  of 
the  country.  Daily  mails  now  ran  to  St. 
Louis  ;  an  officer  in  uniform  could  travel 
alone  by  stage  the  whole  distance,  —  a 
thing  impossible  when  we  reached  St. 
Louis,  even  between  the  arsenal  and  head- 
quarters. The  General  had  made  an 
agreement  \^ith  General  Price,  by  which 
hostilities  were  to  be  confined  to  the  reg- 
ular armies  in  the  field,  and  guerrilla  par- 
ties of  both  sides  suppressed ;  rebels  were 
offered  protection  on  laying  down  their 
arms,  and  observing  all  the  laws ;  and 
irresponsible  arrests  by  any  Federal  sol- 
dier or  official,  for  differences  of  opinion, 
were  also  prohibited.  General  Price  had 
with  him  some  ten  or  fourteen  thousand 
Missourians,  who    did    not    wish    to    cross 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  187 

into  Arkansas,  and  if  they  could  secure 
protection,  they  were  more  than  wilhng 
to  lay  down  their  arms,  and  live  in  peace. 
To  keep  them  so  would  have  been  our 
affair  afterward;  but  it  was  an  army  dis- 
persed, and  a  victory  gained  without  blood- 
shed, to  carry  out  this  agreement. 

This  agreement,  so  unmistakably  for  the 
best  interests  of  Missouri,  was  annulled  im- 
mediately upon  the  removal  of  General  Fre- 
mont, when  the  order  to  reverse  the  engine 
went  into  effect.  But,  while  the  negotia- 
tions were  going  on,  the  General  only 
waited  for  the  delayed  divisions  to  give 
battle.  

"Headquarters  Western  Dept., 
"Springfield,  Nov.  1,  1861. 

"  But  first  let  me  say  how  well  I  found 
the  General,  —  looking   splendidly,  in  cap- 


188  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

ital  spirits,  very  glad  to  get  news  from 
home,  very  much  pleased  with  the  photo- 
graphs, and  '  entirely  satisfied '  with  the 
'  very  good  time  '  in  which  my  little  task 
had  been  completed.  Do  not  think  that 
I  impute  my  own  lively  emotions  to  the 
General,  who  is  generally  reserved  in  ex- 
pression of  his  feelings.  All  of  the  above 
statements,  except  the  splendid  appearance, 
are  from  his  owti  lips.  He  is  only  a  lit- 
tle annoyed  that  the  other  divisions  have 
been  so  slow  in  coming  up,  as  he  wishes  to 
strike  while  he  has  the  opportunity  of  a 
standing,  not  a  retreating  foe.  But  they 
are  expected  along  to-day  or  to-morrow. 

'•  I  arrived  in  Springfield  on  Thursday 
morning,  at  ten  o'clock,  —  three  days  and 
two  hours  after  leaving  you  in  St.  Louis, 
—  and  should  have  been  here  the  day  be- 
fore, had  I  not  been  obliged  to  bring  one 


THE  STORY  OF   THE  GUARD.  IgQ 

horse  all  the  way  through  (^and  a  horrowed 
one  at  that),  and  so  was  exercised  in  my 
mind  lest  he  should  be  disabled,  and  fail 
me  on  the  way  ;  but  he  brought  me 
througli  beautifully. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  the  change  from  camp 
to  St.  Louis  and  to  the  road  again,  was 
something  rather  dazzling  —  or,  perhaps, 
dadng  —  in  its  effects ;  and  although  I 
enjoyed  my  brief  visit  extremely,  I  feel 
that  it  must  have  been  unsatisfactory  to 
you,  from  the  many  things  which  I 
now  remember  I  had  to  tell  you.  How- 
ever, I  console  myself  that  it  was  only 
the  gossip  which  was  left  out,  —  the  news 
I  gave.  Just  twenty-four  hours  after  I 
was  sittinof  in  the  'luxurious  dininsf-room 
of  the  Oriental  palace '  with  you  all  to 
talk  to,  and  a  nice  supper  before  me, 
I    lay  on    the    ground   under   a  tree,  talk- 


190  THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

ing  with  a  rough  orderly,  and  munching 
a  piece  of  hard  bread  and  a  bit  of  cold 
meat. 

"  They  ran,  taking  White  with  them. 
About  twelve  miles  distant  they,  his 
guard,  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  Union 
man,  who,  when  he  learned  that  White 
was  a  prisoner,  went  out  and  collected 
about  seventeen  Home  Guards.  Frank, 
hearing  them  outside,  slipped  out,  and 
heading  them,  captured  Ms  captors^  and 
brought  them  back  to  Springfield.  Here 
he  found  Zagonyi's  dead  and  wounded, 
and  his  two  flags  flying,  but  only  a 
few  members  of  the  Body  Guard,  and 
some  of  his  own  men,  amounting  in 
all  to  twenty-six.  With  these  men  he 
held  the  town,  placing  out  pickets  all 
around,    leaving    a    reserve     of    his    sick 


THE   STORY   OF   THE  GUARD.  IQl 

self  ami  one  lieutenant,  for  twenty-four 
hours,  till  Sigel  entered.  He  so  acted 
as  to  make  the  enemy  suppose  Sigel 
already  there ;  received  a  flag  of  truce 
from  them,  gave  them  permission  to  bury 
their  dead  and  take  their  wounded,  and 
carried  the  whole  thing  through  with  a 
bold  face.  H." 


"  Springfield,  Nov.  1,  1861, 

"10    A.  M. 

"  The  rebel  Legislature  passed  a  seces- 
sion ordinance  at  Neosho  and  adjourned 
to  Cassville.  Three  days  since,  their  en- 
tire army  came  out  of  their  lines  at 
Neosho  and  directed  their  course  east- 
ward and  southwardly,  moving  across 
our  front  and  threatening  us  by  advanc- 
ed corps  pushed  forward  on  the  road  to 
Mount    Vernon,    and     on     the    road   from 


192  THE  STORY  OF   THE  GUARD. 

Cassville  to  this  place.  The  entire  strength 
of  Price's  army  is  reported  at  33,000. 
As  I  advised  you  might  he  tlie  case,  I 
am  disposed  to  think  that  Pillow  or 
Hardee's  force  may  be  moving  across  the 
country  to  join  them.  But  I  shall  soon 
know,  and  it  makes  very  little  dif- 
ference to  me  whether  they  have  ten  or 
fifteen  thousand  more  or  less  when  I 
get  my  little  army  concentrated.  Has- 
sendeubel's  regiment  "svill  join  us  this 
morninof.  Lane  and  Sturijis  will  be  in 
with  their  forces  by  noon.  Pope  will 
probably  be  in  with  his  division  by 
nightfall,  and  McKinstry  with  his  to- 
morrow. I  had  been  misinformed  about 
General  Hunter.  He  had  been  re- 
ported as  being  near  Qnincy,  but  his 
own  report,  which  I  received  two  days 
since,    left     him    at     Mount     View,    about 


THE   STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  IQg 

fifteen  miles  this  side  of  Warsaw.  He 
had  sent  back  a  supply  train  for  pro- 
visions, and  was  intending  to  wait  for 
it.  Yesterday  at  2  a.  m.  I  sent  him  a 
despatch,  directing  him  to  come  forward. 
The  force  is  rapidly  getting  into  excel- 
lent condition,  and  I  really  think  can 
whip  the  enemy  two  to  one.  I  shall 
move  with  all  the  skill  that  I  can 
bring  to  the  work,  and  at  the  same 
time  with  as  much  rapidity  as  is  con- 
sistent with  it.  Your  letter  by  Captain 
Howard,  was  very  pleasant  to  me.  I 
am  very  glad  to  see  that  our  move- 
ments   have    given    so     much    satisfaction 

to    our    friends 

"  Meantime,  whatever  force  remains  be- 
hind, hurry  in.  I  received  yesterday  the 
despatch,  which  I  enclose  to  Captain  Mc- 
Keever,  from  Governor  Randall.     I  direct 

13 


lQ4f  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

him  to  order  the  regiment  immediately 
to  St.  Louis,  thence  to  Rolla  to  replace 
Colonel  Gessler's  regiment,  which  I  desire 
to  come  here  to  me  in  the  field  direct, 
the  very  moment  it  can  leave  Rolla.  I 
am  pleased  to  see  that  Constable's  Bat- 
tery has  left.  We  want  all  the  sabres  that 
can  come,  and  revolvers,  and  also  all 
the  altered  Austrian  muskets  that  can 
be  spared.  Hurry  up  the  Guards,  and 
have  the  requisition  for  their  clothing 
filled.     I   think    it    is     going     to    snow  — 

it   looks    and   feels    like    it 

"J.  C.  F." 


"  Springfield,  Nov.  2, 

"  9^,  A.  M. 


"  I    now  look   to   see   the    supply  trains 
come    up.     In    my  judgment,    it    is    abso- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  IQ5 

lately  certain  that  if  we  could  have  had 
them  so  as  to  have  brought  up  the 
other  divisions  to  this  place  concurrently 
with  myself,  we  should  have  before  this 
routed  Price  and  captured  his  baggage- 
trains.  I  trust  in  you  to  do  all  that 
can  be  done.  It  would  have  been  a 
good  thing,  if  Major  Allen  had  gone  to 
Tipton  to  push  the  supplies  forward. 
Make  thanks  to  our  friends  Captain 
Foote  and  Major  Corwine,  and  partic- 
ularly to  Colonel  Fiala.  Tell  him  I  ap- 
preciate fully  his  fidelity  and  ability,  and 
would  have  been  glad,  had  I  been  able, 
to  carry  out  all  his  able  suggestions  in 
regard  to  St.  Louis  and  the  Mississippi 
line.    .     .    . 

"  The  enemy's  movements  are  still  a 
little  uncertain ;  —  scouts,  spies,  and  other 
information     reported    last    nighf*  his    ad- 


196  THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

vance  a  little  nearer,  but  to-day  will 
give  us  more  positive  information.  Their 
intention  is  reported  to  occupy  Wilson's 
Creek,  and  have  a  battle  on  the  same 
ground  as  the  other  in  August  last.  I 
don't  believe  it,  and  think  they  would 
have  rather  a  merry  time  in  carrying 
out  their  point.  I  am  just  sending  out 
a  strong  reconnoitring  party  to  make  a 
military  map  of  the  old  battle-ground 
and  vicinity  of  Wilson's  Creek.  Hassen- 
deubel's  regiment,  and  Generals  Sturgis 
and  Lane  got  in  with  their  forces  yes- 
terday. McKinstry  with  his  division  will 
be  in  to-day.  Pope  ought  to  reach  here 
to-day  or    to-morrow.     We    are    all    right 

here 

"Meantime,  have  Capt.  McKeever  send 
off  the  Fitz  H.  Warren  Regiment  to 
me  —  all   of  it   if   possible  —  and    Colonel 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  IW 

Crafts  Wriglit's  regiment.  Tell  him,  if 
it  be  not  already  done,  to  order  it  off' 
instantly  and  peremptorily;  if  the  order 
be  not  instantly  obeyed,  to  place  the 
Colonel  in  arrest  by  my  order,  and  every 
other  officer,  if  necessary.  Hurry  up  the 
Guards.  I  suppose,  if  I  am  to  remain 
in  command,  it  will  be  settled  by  the 
time    you   receive    this,  definitely  one    way 

or    the    other 

"  Captain   just    read  me   a  letter, 

through  a  reliable  source,  which  gives 
the  contents  of  a  despatch  from  Washing- 
ton, dated  October  28.  Despatch  says : 
'  General  Scott  retires  from  the  command 
of  the  army  on  account  of  his  infirm- 
ities. Orders  from  the  Commander-in- 
Chief  have  been  sent  by  the  President  to 
General  Curtis  at  St.  Louis,  to  be  deliv- 
ered  to   General  Fremont,   unless  he  is  in 


198  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD 

front  of  the  enemy,  or  pursues  him  to 
give  him  battle.  The  orders  direct  Gen- 
eral Fremont  to  surrender  his  command 
to  the  next  officer.  General  Hunter.'  It 
is  quite  time  that  all  this  should  cease.     . 

"  Nov.  2d,  lOi.  —  I  have  just  received 
the  order  relieving  me  of  my  command, 
directing  me  to  turn  it  over  to  General 
Hunten  Get  quietly  ready  for  immediate 
departure    from    St.    Louis.     I    shall  leave 

this  place  forthwith  for  St.  Louis 

"J.  C.  F." 


XIII. 

THEIR  RETURN. 

"Keturn  Road,  near  Bolivar, 
"  Tuesday,  Nov.  5,  1861. 

"  So  far  on  our  return  road,  all  is  good 
health,  good  spirits,  and  satisfied  mind.  .   . 

"  It  seems  to  me  simply  a  laid-out  piece 
of  work,  in  which  I  have  been  doing  my 
part.     .     .     . 

"  I  received  General  Scott's  order  to  turn 
over  the  department  to  Hunter,  on  the 
2d,  and  the  same  day  I  had  printed 
and  published  the  brief  General  Order, 
transferring  my  command  to  him,  and 
the   enclosed    address    to   the    army. 

"  I    send    Raymond    forward    to    make 


200  THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

the  railroad  arrangements,  and  advise  you 
of  us.  We  propose  to  embark  on  the 
cars  on  Thursday  niglit,  and  reach  St. 
Louis  early  on  Friday;  —  the  Sharpshoot- 
ers, Body  Guard,  and  a  few  of  the  Staff, 
together  with  all  our  horses.  Further 
advices  by  telegraph.  Day  is  breaking, 
and   we    must     be    on     the     road.     Good- 

by  —  plenty    of   love  to    and  , 

and   regards    to    all    friends. 

"  The  order  reached  me  when  I  was 
in  face  of  the  enemy  and  manoeuvring 
with  him,  he  being  nine  to  twelve  miles 
distant.  Hunter  came  in  the  night,  after 
the  order  of  march  and  battle  had  been 
written,  and  six  the  next  morning  the 
hour  appointed  for  the  march  against  the 
enemy.  All  right.  I  think  now  there 
will  be  no  battle. 

"J.  C.  F." 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  201 

Tile  General  was  to  have  been  at  home 
by  nine  in  the  morning ;  but  the  manage- 
ment of  the  trains  being  in  other  hands, 
they  were  delayed  until  nearly  that  hour 
in  the  evening.  But  patient  crowds  had 
kept  their  watch  through  the  long  day, 
and  by  night  it  was  a  sea  of  heads  in  all 
the  open  spaces  around  our  house.  The 
door-posts  were  garlanded,  and  the  very 
steps  covered  with  flowers,  —  touching  and 
graceful  offerings  from  the  Germans. 
China-asters  and  dahlias,  \vith  late  roses 
and  regular  bosquets  of  geraniums,  beau- 
tified the  entrance  and  perfumed  the  air ; 
and  when  the  General  did  make  his  way 
at  last  through  the  magnificent  assemblage, 
it  was  to  be  met  by  the  wives  and  chil- 
dren of  the  German  officers  he  had  left 
at  Springfield.  Unknown  to  me,  they 
had    come   to    speak   their    hearts  to    him. 


202  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

but  they  had  more  tears  than  words. 
Touched  to  the  heart  already,  the  Gen- 
eral was  not  prepared  for  the  arrival 
of  citizens  —  American  as  well  as  German 
— who  came  to  thank  him  for  past  services, 
and  ask  to  stand  by  him  in  the  hour  of 
disgrace.  Meantime,  the  unceasing  cheers 
and  shouts  of  the  vast  crowd  without 
sounded  like  the  tide  after  a  high  wind. 
I  could  not  stand  it;  I  went  far  up  to 
the  top  of  the  house,  and,  in  the  cold 
night  air,  tried  to  still  the  contending 
emotions,  when  I  saw  a  sight  that  added 
to  the  throbbing  of  my  heart.  Far  down 
the  wide  avenue  the  serried  crowd  w^as 
parting,  its  dark,  restless  masses  glowing  in 
the  lurid,  wavering  torchlight,  looking  liter- 
ally like  waves;  —  and,  passing  through 
them,  came  horsemen  stamped  with  the  splen- 
did signet  of  battle,  their  wounded  horses 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  QQS 

and  bullet-torn  uniforms  bringing  cries  of 
love  and  thanks  from  those  for  whom  they 
had  been  battling.  When  they  halted  be- 
fore the  door,  and  the  sudden  ring  and 
flash  of  their  drawn  sabres  added  new 
beauty  to  the  picture,  I  think  only  the 
heart  of  a  Haman  could  have  failed  to 
respond  to  the  truth  and  beauty  of  the 
whole  scene.  Were  not  these  men  for  the 
king  to  delight  to  honor'?  Who  could 
have  foreseen  what  was  the  official  recog- 
nition  already  preparing  for  them  ] 


Before  getting  the  General's  request  for 
a  flag  for  them,  I  had  already  had  one 
made,  and  they  came  in  the  morning  to 
receive  it.  By  day  their  war-worn  ap- 
pearance was  still  more  touching.  As  I 
looked,  how  I  wished  'that  I  might  utter 


204<  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

the  thoughts  that  arose  in  me ; '  but  I  could 
only  ask  Major  Zagonyi  to  say  for  me  how 
I  felt  the  honor  they  had  brought  on  our 
name,  and  that  they  would  find  I  did  not 
forget  them.  After  he  had  •  carried  them 
the  flag,  and  said  something,  which  we 
were  too  far  off  to  hear,  they  returned  to 
their  camp  (for  the  Guard  was  never  in 
quarters,  and  lived  in  open  camp  even 
in  St.  Louis). 

I  give  the  follomng  note  as  Zagonyi 
sent  it  to  me :  — 

"  I  thank  you,  Madame,  sincerely,  in 
the  name  of  my  officers  and  men,  for  the 
mark  of  your  regard  in  giving  us  this 
beautiful  flag.  Was  a  profound  regret  to 
them  and  to  me  that  we  return  from  the 
field  with  so  short  a  glimpse  of  the  rebel 
army. 

"  As   we    followed    our    leader    past    the 


THE  STORY  OF  THE   GUARD.  205 

outside  pickets  around  Springfield,  our 
band  performed  their  gayest  music ;  but 
to  me  was  like  a  funeral  dirge.  And  it 
was  a  funeral  —  there  were  buried  the 
fruits  of  three  months'  labor  of  the  Gen- 
eral, —  the  aspiration  of  thousands  of  am- 
bitious men  who  followed  his  standard, — 
and  gone,  too,  the  hope  of  patriots  that 
was  ended  the  war  in  Missouri. 

"  But  I  believe  in  the  resurrection.  I 
believe  not  always  will  be  denied  truth 
and  justice  to  General  Fremont;  will  come 
the  time  —  and  soon  —  when  the  cam- 
paign in  Missouri  will  be  known  as  is  in 
reality,  well  planned,  well  done,  and  how 
cruel  and  unjust  it  was  ended. 

"  But  is  not  for  me  to  praise  or  criti- 
cize his  action.  My  command  did  serve 
him  when  to  them  he  could  promise  an 
honorable  and  active  career;   they  will  not 


206  THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

fail  from  his  side  now  that  every  sound  of 
battle  is  banished  from  their  ear  forever." 

I  wish  I  could  pass  over  in  silence 
the  treatment  to  which  the  Guard  was 
now  subjected ;  but  I  cannot  undo  facts. 
Only  those  who  have  experienced  the  in- 
finite littlenesses  of  garrison  tyranny  can 
realize  in  how  many  ways  they  were  har- 
assed, and  finally  deprived  of  absolute 
necessaries. 

After  refusing"  them  pay,  rations,  or 
forage,  it  was  said  they  were  to  be  put 
on  duty  as  the  Guard  to  .  .  .  This  was 
the  drop  too  much,  and  explains  the  fol- 
lowing despatch :  — 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.     OQfJ 


(copy  of  telegram.) 

"  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
"November  11,  1861. 
"  Maj.-Gen.  Geo.  B.  McClellax, 

"  Commandlng-in-Chief, 

"  Washington,  D.  C,  — 
"  I  would  regard  it  as  an  act  of  per- 
sonal courtesy  and  kindness  to  me,  if  you 
will  order  my  Body-Guard  to  remain  with 
me,  subject  to  no  orders  in  this  depart- 
ment but  my  own.  It  is  composed  of  ed- 
ucated and  intelligent  young  men,  to  whom 
the  country  and  I  owe  more  than  the  usual 
consideration  accorded  to  the  rank  and  file 
of  the  army. 

(Signed)     "J.  C.  Fremont, 


s08         the  story  of  the  guard, 
(copy.) 

"By  Telegraph,  11  p.  m. 
"Head-quarters  of  the  Army, 
"Washington,  Nov.  11,  1861. 
"  Major-General  J.  C.  Fremont, — 

"  Before  receiving  your  despatch,  I  had 
given  instructions  that  the  cavalry  corps, 
known  as  your  Body-Guard,  should  be 
otherwise  disposed  of.  Official  information 
had  reached  this  city  that  members  of  that 
body  had  at  Springfield  expressed  senti- 
ments rendering  their  continuance  in  the 
service  of  doubtful  expediency.  With  ev- 
ery desire  to  gratify  your  wishes,  I  do  not 
see  exactly  how  I  can  violate  every  rule 
of  military  propriety.     Please  reply. 

"  Geo.  B.  McClellan, 

"  Com  An- Chief:' 


the  story  of  the  guard.         £09 

(telegram.) 

"  St.  Louis,  Nov.  12. 
"  Major-General  Geo.  B.  McClellax, 

"  Commander-in-Chief  U.  S.  Army, — 

"  I  am  not  informed  of  any  expression 
of  sentiment  at  Spring-field  by  the  cavalry 
known  as  my  Body-Guard,  which  should 
create  a  doubt  as  to  the  expediency  of  their 
being  retained  in  the  service  of  the  coun- 
try; while  on  the  contrary  the  service  ren- 
dered by  the  gallantry  of  their  conduct  on 
the  25th  October  at  Springfield  justly  en- 
titles them  to  the  favorable  consideration 
of  the  government.  In  view  of  this  fact, 
I  request  the  Commanding  General  to  re- 
consider the  case,  if  any  severe  measure 
has  been  directed  against  them. 

"  J.  C.  FrI:mont, 
'' Major-Genercd  U.  S,  ^." 

This  being  unanswerable,  remained  un- 
answered. 

14 


210  THE   STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

Meantime  the  Guard  had  die  additional 
pain  of  parting  from  the  horses  which  had 
shared  their  hardships  and  triumphs ;  had 
to  turn  into  the  quartermaster's  department 
the  animals  they  had  trained  and  wliose 
wounds  they  had  tended  so  carefully  to 
make  them  again  fit  for  service.  General 
Sturgis  was  sent  to  muster  them  out,  and 
w^hilst  w^aiting  for  him,  Zagonyi  had  them 
photographed  as  they  stood  in  front  of  the 
rough  plank-roofed  shed  which  formed  their 
quarters.  A  keen  wind  is  hlowing;  the 
band  have  overcoats,  but  the  Guard  are 
still  without ;  some  are  mounted,  for  the 
last  time  ;  more  than  half  are  on  foot. 
General  Sturgis,  after  reviewing  them,  de- 
clared he  could  not  bring  himself  to  think 
of  losing  such  soldiers,  and  refused  to  mus- 
ter them  out,  asking  Zagonyi  to  w^ait  a 
little  until  he  could  carry  out  a  plan  for- 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUAM).  gU 

them.      His   note   shows   the   flimsiness  of 
the  pretext  for  dishanding  them. 

"  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Nov.  27,  1861. 

"  Major  :  — 

"  I  am  directed  hy  the  Major- General 
Commanding  to  muster  the  Body- Guard 
out  of  service;  but  at  the  same  time  he 
authorizes  me  to  say  to  you  that  if  you 
will  raise  a  regiment  (cavalry),  retaining 
such  officers  of  the  Body-Guard  as  you 
may  think  proper,  it  will  be  accepted  into 
the  United  States  service. 
*'  I  am,  Major, 

"Very  Respectfully, 
"  Your  ob'd't  serv't, 
"  S.  D.  Sturgis, 
''  Brigadier- General  U.  S,  Vols. 

"  To  Major  Zagonyi, 

"  Commanding  Body-Guard, 
"  St.  Louis,  Mo." 


212  THE  STOKY   OF  THE  GUARD. 

Major  Zagonyi  declined  the  idea  for  him- 
self, but  submitted  the  note  to  the  Guard. 
General  Sturgis's  generous  efforts  were 
too  late.  The  Guard  had  borne  as  much 
as  is  right  for  men  to  bear,  and  they 
refused  unanimously  to  accept  any  other 
organization  than  the  one  originally  en- 
tered  on. 

From  the  time  of  the  General's  turning 
over  the  records,  he  directed  the  guard- 
mounting  before  the  house  to  be  discontin- 
ued. But  although  after  some  repetitions 
the  order  was  obeyed,  yet  each  night  I 
heard  the  old  sound  of  the  Guard  on 
duty  inside  the  house,  and  they  would 
not  discontinue  it.  The  day  we  left  for 
New  York,  as  we  came  down  the  steps, 
I  saw  at  once  that  the  Guard  was  in  place 
at  the  gate,  and   they  flashed  their  salute 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  218 

as  the  General  passed.  The  countenance 
of  one  caught  my  attention,  and  after  we 
Avere  in  the  carriage  hotli  of  us  noticed 
that  in  returning  his  sahre  he  struck  it 
home  with  his  open  pahii  as  though  ex- 
pressing an  intention  not  again  to  draw 
it.  As  he  looked  up,  he  saw  that  we 
were  noticing  him ;  and,  coming  down  to 
the  side  of  the  carriage,  without  a  word 
spoken,  he  drew  off  the  heavy  gauntlet 
and  laid  his  open  hand  within  the  Gen- 
eral's with  such  a  blended  look  of  dumb 
rage  and  regret  and  fidelity  as  was  won- 
derful to  see.  And  this  was  the  end.  On 
reaching  New  York  we  found  this  despatch, 
dated  ''St.  Louis,  Nov.  £8th,"  (Thanks- 
giving day  ! ) 


214<  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

"To  Major-General  Fremont, 
"  Astor  House  :  — 

"The  Body-Guard  was  to-day  mustered 
out  of  service.  Chas.  Zagonyi, 


"  But  the  large  grief  that  these  enfold 
Is  given  in  outline  —  and  no  more." 


xiy. 

PATIXG   GENERAL  FREMONT'S  SIEN. 
(Extract  from  the  Daily  Journals.) 

"  A  bill  Las  been  prepared  directing  the 
Secretary  of  War  to  pay  off  all  officers 
and  men  whose  services  were  accepted 
and  actually  employed  by  Major-General 
Fremont,  or  by  the  Commanding -Gen- 
eral of  Missouri,  whether  they  were  regu- 
larly mustered  into  service  or  not.  It  also 
provides  that  the  wounded  and  disabled  of 
such  shall  draw  bounty  and  pensions,  and 
the  heirs  of  the  killed  draw  pay  and 
bounty  as  in  other  cases.  This  hill  fully 
provides  for  the  Fremont  Bodrj-Guard^  and 
relieves  the  government  of  the  charge  of 
injustice  r 


£16  THE  STOKY  OF  THE  GUARD. 


"New  York, 

"Dec.  17,  1861. 
"  Hon.  Charles  B.  Sedgwick, 

"Washington  City, — 

"  I  have  read  to-day  of  the  bill  for  the 
payment  of  officers  appointed  by  "  iNIajor- 
General  Fremont,  or  by  the  CommandinDr 
General  of  Missouri.'*  I  think  the  bill 
ought  not  to  pass  in  its  present  form. 
To  meet  the  many  irregular  appointments 
in  that  department,  and  in  the  merest 
ordinary  justice  to  the  officers  who  served 
their  country  thoroughly  and  well,  such  a 
bill  ought  to  be  passed,  but  with  some 
modifications.  Other  officers  in  the  West- 
ern Department  made  appointments  under 
pressure  of  the  same  necessity  that  forced 
me  to  do  so.  I  was  sent  to  the  Western 
Department  with  unrestricted  authority, 
which  comprehended  the  power  to  appoint, 


TILE  STORY   OF   THE  GUARD.  217 

but  I  judged  it  safer  to  make  the  appli- 
cation which  gave  me  tliat  autliority,  di- 
rect, ample,  and  explicit,  from  the  Secre- 
tary at  War  and  the  President.  The  bill 
ou"-ht  to  recoofnize  the  fact  that  the  ir- 
regularity  —  if  there  was  any  which  could 
render  these  appointments  less  legal  than 
any  others  made  by  the  government  — 
is  justly  chargeable  upon  government,  and 
not  upon  myself  acting  under  its  direction. 

"  As  it  now  stands  the  bill  carries  the 
idea  that  the  interposition  of  Congress  is 
required  to  prevent  my  officers  from  suf- 
fering by  my  unauthorized  acts.  Sufifer- 
ing,  they  undoubtedly  are. 

"  This  bill  claims  further  to  do  away  with 
any  injustice  to  the  Body-Guard  by  paying 
them.  Their  pay  is  their  right,  not  a 
favor.  They  were  regularly  enlisted  with 
the    usual    forms.      They    rendered    good 


£18  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

and  valuable  service  from  the  day  of  their 
enlistQient.  They  performed  cue  of  the 
most  gallant  acts  ever  recorded  in  this  or 
any  other  war.  My  letter  on  their  behalf 
was  not  replied  to.  On  the  contrary,  on 
their  return  to  St.  Louis  —  just  after  their 
victory  —  they  were  treated  with  marked 
disrespect  by  the  government  officials;  re- 
fused forage  for  their  horses,  rations  for 
themselves,  pay  or  clothing.  Instead  of 
commendation  for  merit  they  were  met  by 
an  order  directing  them  to  be  disbanded, 
and  '  not  to  be  retaii^ed  in  the  service  of 
the  country,  for  certain  sentiments  alleged 
to  have  been  expressed  by  them  at  Spring- 
field.' This  is  the  injustice  of  which  the 
Guard  and  their  friends  complain.  It  is 
not  a  question  of  money,  and  this  bill 
does  not  remove  the  charge. 

"  For  the  present  I  merely  wish  to  call 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  219 

your  attention  to  this  point.  Perhaps  an 
opportunity  will  he  found  to  have  their 
services  recognized  hereafter. 

"  In  regard  to  the  other  point  of  the  bill, 
I  have  to  ask  that  you  will  endeavor  to 
have  such  amendment  made  as  will  suit 
the  view  I  have   suggested. 

"  It  is  material  to  me  to  have  the  facts 
of  my  administration  set  out  distinctly  and 
fully  from  the  authentic  records.  This  is 
my  first  desire.  But  until  I  can  reach 
this  justice,  I  desire  carefully  to  guard 
against  any  legislative  action  which  it 
might  be  difficult  to  explain  afterwards, 
as  such  is  usually  held  conclusive. 

(Signed)  "  J.  C.  Fremont, 

"^c,  sscr 

But  what  could  justify  (granting  the 
pretext   against    those    at    Springfield)    the 


Q20  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

dismissal  of  the  company  who  had  never 
left  St.  Louis,  and  who  were  guiltless 
of  victory  or  "  sentiments  "  ]  The  regu- 
lations require  that  all  charges  shall  go 
through  the  officer  immediately  command- 
ing, —  naturally  enough,  if  a  fair  hearing 
and  justice  are  to  be  secured.  But  except 
the  vague  anonymous  say-so  repeated  by 
General  McClellan  in  his  despatch,  no 
explanation  has  ever  been  made. 


XV. 

"  Whate'er  success  awaits  my  future  life, 
The  hcaullful  is  gone  —  that  comes  no  more." 

And  this  is  the  story  of  the  Body- 
Guard.  It  is  not  claimed  for  them  that 
they  showed  a  rarer  courage  than  tens  of 
thousands  of  others  in  this  war.  But  theirs 
was  tlie  singular  fortune  to  go  to  their 
first  battle  under  a  cloud  of  reproach, 
though  blameless,  and  to  return  from  it 
victorious,  to  the  punishment  reserved  for 
the  gravest  military  offences.  They  did 
their  whole  duty  and  more.  They  lit  up 
the  dark  war-cloud,  further  blackened  by 
Ball's  Bluff,  with  a  lightning  ray  of 
victory,  an  earnest  of  what  was  to  fol- 
low.     For    this    they    were    dismissed    the 


£22  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

service ;  the  morning  freshness  of  their  love 
of  country  blighted,  and  its  first  offering 
rejected.  It  is  such  a  grievous  sin  to 
throw  back  generous  feelings  and  make 
trust  impossible.  I  dreaded  its  effect  on 
them.  But  they  are  proving  that  deeper 
than  any  self-love  lies  love  of  country. 
Nearly  all  are  again  in  service.  They 
have  deserved  higher  regard  than  any 
ordinary  victory  can  earn, — for  they  have 
conquered  themselves. 

When  there  is  such  a  weight  of  sacri- 
fice and  suffering,  I  trust  much  apology 
is  not  needed  for  my  attempt  to  lessen  its 
burden  on  those  to  whose  assistance  this 
little  offering  is  dedicated. 

I  think  only  the  wife  of  a  man  much 
before  the  public  can  fully  value  the  sa- 
credness    of    home,    and    make    it    almost 


THE  STORY   OF  THE  GUARD.  OOg 

a  religion  to  guard  against  any  profana- 
tion of  its  sweet  security.  Born  to  and 
educated  in  this  feeling  in  my  father's 
house,  and  confirmed  in  it  by  the  expe- 
rience of  my  own  home,  it  lias  been  a 
real  sacrifice  for  me  to  lay  open  even 
so  small  a  part  of  my  life.  Tiiis  is  un- 
necessary to  say  to  those  who  know  me, 
but  as  such  a  vast  many  more  do  not, 
and,  only  seeing  what's  done,  know  not 
what's  resisted,  I  beg  of  them  to  bear 
this  in  mind,  and  not  think  this  attempt 
to  relieve  suffering  more  unwomanly  or 
less  needed  than  any  of  the  other  new 
positions  in  which  women  are  finding 
themselves  during  this  strange  phase  of 
our  national  life. 

The  restraints  of  ordinary  times  do  not 
apply  now.  How  many  Avomen  —  many 
of  them   rich   in  the  good    gifts    of   youth 


S24<  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD. 

and  beauty,  and  charm  of  mind  —  min- 
ister daily  at  the  bedsides  of  men  whose 
very  names  are  unknown  to  them,  over- 
coming', not  only  their  shuddering  repug- 
nance to  ghastly  sights,  but  the  deeper 
instinct  of  shyness  and  reserve.  They 
can  well  bear  the  sneers  of  those  whose 
Decameronish  instinct  leads  them  to  sit 
apart  in  pleasant  places,  and  cultivate  for- 
getfulness  while  the  angel  of  death  is 
leaving  no  house  unvisited.  They  have 
"  waked  to  a  higher  aim  :  "  —  they  "  have 
felt  with  their  native  land  and  are  one 
with  their  kind." 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  225 


List  of  those  Wounded  in  Action  at   Spring- 
field, October  25th,  1861. 

Co.  A. 
Sergeant  Jos.  C.  Frock,  De  Witt,  Missouri. 

Corporal  Philip  F.  Davis,        Belleville,  Illinois. 
Corporal  Edward  H.  Deane,    St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Private  C.  H.  Bowman,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Private  Frederick  Lenderking,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Private  A.  J.  Wisa,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Co.  B. 

1st  Lieut.  W.  Westerborg,  St.  Louis,  JVlissouri. 
1st  Lieut.  Louis  Vansteenkiste,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Corporal  J.  T.  Underwood,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Corporal  G.  W.  Holbrook,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Corporal  Louis  Winel,  Columbia,  Illinois. 

Private  John  Frank,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Co.  C. 

1st  Lieut.  Jos.  M.  Kennedy,     Covington,  Kentucky. 

2d  Lieut.  James  Goff,  Carbondale,  Pennsylvania. 

Sergeant  Charles  H.  Hunter,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio. 

Private  Henry  M.  Diggins,       Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Private  William  C.  Williams,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Private  Daniel  G.  Jones, 
15 


226  THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUAKD. 

Private  Benjamin  T.  Haebler,  Clermont  Co.,  Oliio. 

Private  Allen  Purdy,  Covington,  Kentucky. 

Private  C.  W.  Moore,  Broome  Co.,  Ohio. 

Private  P.  M.  Murphy,  Canada. 

Private  William  Haskell,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Private  Robert  Lee,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Private  J.  R.  Day,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio. 

Two  of  the  Prairie  Scouts,  whose  names 
I  have  at  present  no  means  of  ascertain- 
ing", were  killed  in  the  charge,  and  buried 
with  the  dead  of  the  Guard. 

The  Prairie  Scouts  are  still  in  service, 
and  entitled  to  all  the  rewards  which  the 
country  gives  to  its  soldiers ;  what  they 
did  on  the  field  is  already  chronicled,  and 
their  young  commander  is  winning  con- 
tinued distinction  in  the  West.  But  the 
Guard,  having  been  dismissed  the  ser- 
vice, can  receive  no  pension  ;  and  for 
them  there  is  no  other  reward  than 
the   consciousness    of  duty  well    done.      I 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUARD.  2^7 

have  fallen  far  short  of  my  hope  to  do 
them  justice,  —  giving  up  the  attempt  to 
individualize,  as  I  found  the  truth  of 
Zagonyi's  words,  "  that  all  was  worthy 
of  mention." 


THE   END. 


TROOPER'S    DEATH. 

Words  and  Music  translated  and  arranged  from  the  German. 


i^i; 


Con  forza.  ^  ^ 


^^M^^mm. 


^iJ|S^^i#5H 


1.  The  weary  night  is    o'er  at  last !  "We 


y  Tempo  hen  marcato. 


'-¥ 


^S^'fenSli^^ 


ride    so  still,  we    ride  so  fast,  We  ride  where  death  is 


__ — 0 0—0 0-. 1 0 Js — I ^^ 

•        k'    I       b/  -0^ 


i 


TROOPER'S    DEATH.      Concluded, 
lying,  The  morning  wind  doth  coldly  pass,  Landlord  we'll  take  an  - 


oth  -  er    glass,  Ere  dy  -  ing,  ere  dy    -    ing  ! 
Ad.  lih.^^^^j       ' 

2  Thou  springing  grass,  that  art  so  green, 
Shall  soon  be  rosy  red,  I  ween, 
My  blood  the  hue  supplying! 
I  drink  the  first  glass,  sword  in  hand, 
To  him  who  for  the  Fatherland 

Lies  dying! 

3  Now  quickly  comes  the  second  draught, 
And  that  shall  be  to  freedom  quaffed 
While  freedom's  foes  are  flying! 
The  rest,  0  Land!  our  hope  and  faith! 
We'd  drink  to  thee  with  latest  breath. 

Though  dying! 

4  My  darling!  —  ah,  the  glass  is  out! 
The  bullets  ring,  the  riders  shout- 
No  time  for  wine  or  sighing! 
There!  bring  my  love  the  shivered  glass. 
Charge!  on  the  foe!  no  joys  surpass 

Such  dying! 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wilmer 
473 


